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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: wax · trunk · pitch · craft · bark · chair · stick · fan

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. wax — to grow
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. craft — boats
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pitch — completely
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chair — to sit on

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