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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: prune · wax · suit · court · charge · drill · club · pitch

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. charge — a price
  5. court — of law
  6. wax — to grow
  7. drill — a practice
  8. court — of a king
  9. suit — to fit
  10. charge — in control
  11. drill — army training
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. prune — to trim
  15. drill — the tool
  16. club — a group
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. club — for golf
  20. charge — electricity
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. club — for dancing

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