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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: mug · file · root · prune · pitch · fall · rock · arm

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. file — a document
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mug — a face
  7. file — a tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fall — the season
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rock — music
  15. root — of a word
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mug — to rob
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fall — to drop
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. prune — the fruit

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