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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: board · club · pitch · hide · wind · prune · last · rock

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. board — a committee
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pitch — completely
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. board — to get on
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. club — for dancing
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wind — moving air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. club — a group
  17. last — final
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. club — for golf
  24. pitch — a sports field

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