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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: chip · prune · last · cold · pound · suit · pitch · bulb

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cold — not warm
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. suit — in cards
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. last — final
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bulb — for light
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cold — an illness
  19. last — to go on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. prune — to trim
  22. last — finally
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pound — a weight

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