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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: roll · swing · bark · pitch · prune · can · arm · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. squash — the sport
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bark — to shout
  6. swing — in golf
  7. can — a tin
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. roll — a list
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. can — to be able to
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitch — completely
  16. can — a tin
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. roll — a cake
  22. prune — to trim
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. prune — to trim

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