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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. board — a committee
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. board — to get on
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wound — an injury
  18. craft — boats
  19. rock — music
  20. wax — to grow
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pitch — a sports field

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