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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: wax · fine · prune · fan · wake · pop · pound · pitch

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fine — all right
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wax — to grow
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fan — a supporter

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