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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: club · pass · wax · bowl · pit · craft · pitch · fine

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pit — a hole
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pit — in a race
  12. club — a group
  13. fine — all right
  14. club — for golf
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. wax — to grow
  20. craft — boats
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fine — a penalty

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