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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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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: fork · cabinet · cue · bulb · pitch · club · prune · pit

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cue — a hint
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. club — a group
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bulb — for light

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