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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 116 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: fork · prune · dip · cue · ground · mine · content · pitch

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pitch — completely
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. dip — to sink
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. content — happy
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mine — for digging
  21. content — the amount
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. cue — for pool

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