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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 124 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: prune · pitcher · pitch · cap · temple · ground · hide · calf

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cap — a hat
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitch — completely
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cap — a lid
  17. prune — to trim
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. ground — a position
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. hide — to keep secret

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