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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
468
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: prune · deal · plane · fine · pitch · capital · wax · dip

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. capital — money
  3. prune — to trim
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. capital — a city
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fine — all right
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fine — high quality
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. plane — a tool
  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