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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: wound · wax · pitch · craft · bowl · pound · coach · prune

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wax — to grow
  7. prune — to trim
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — a weight
  24. prune — to trim

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