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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wax — to grow
  6. plane — a tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pitch — completely
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — in cards
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. can — to be able to
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. hand — help
  24. suit — to fit

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