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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · pitch · track · prune · present · chest · bulb · current

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. present — the time now
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. chest — of your body
  5. present — there
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. prune — to trim
  12. present — a gift
  13. track — a path
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. current — of water
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. track — to keep track
  18. current — happening now
  19. track — a song
  20. current — electric
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chest — a box

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com