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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 120 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: mine · bear · game · pop · mark · suit · prune · wax

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pop — soda
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. game — a match
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. suit — in cards
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pop — to visit
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pop — music
  24. suit — clothes

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