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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: craft · band · wax · game · toast · bowl · prune · pit

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pit — in a race
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. craft — a skill
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. band — a ring
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. prune — to trim
  12. game — wild animals
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. game — a match
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. craft — boats
  18. toast — bread
  19. pit — a hole
  20. band — a music group
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bowl — a football final

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