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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · prune · object · rock · ball · wave · swing · pitch

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. object — an aim
  10. rock — a stone
  11. swing — music
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. prune — to trim
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. rock — music
  21. object — a thing
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pitch — completely

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