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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: pitch · fine · prune · row · chair · track · snap · wax

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. track — a path
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to click
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. row — to paddle
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. track — a song
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pitch — completely
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. fine — all right

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