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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: sharp · pitch · ruler · prune · swing · stand · wax · fall

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stand — to bear
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fall — the season
  8. sharp — clever
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. swing — music
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitch — completely
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wax — to grow

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