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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: track · craft · trunk · fall · roll · pitch · mine · wax

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a list
  3. craft — boats
  4. track — a song
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. roll — a cake
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. track — a path
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mine — for digging
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitch — completely
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mine — belonging to me

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