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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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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. net — for catching
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. net — in sport
  9. ground — a position
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wake — a trail
  21. net — after costs
  22. staff — employees
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wake — before a funeral

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