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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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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: rule · pitcher · fine · spring · craft · wax · season · pop

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pop — music
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pop — to visit
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rule — a law
  9. fine — high quality
  10. craft — boats
  11. pop — soda
  12. season — in sport
  13. craft — a skill
  14. spring — of water
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fine — all right
  18. spring — a coil
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rule — government
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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