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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: prune · club · cue · pitch · band · object · jam · lean

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. object — an aim
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. lean — to bend
  9. band — a music group
  10. object — to protest
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lean — thin
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. object — a thing
  19. band — a ring
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pitch — completely
  22. club — a group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. club — for golf

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