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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: wax · season · tear · fine · prune · swing · craft · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. swing — in golf
  4. season — of the year
  5. tear — from crying
  6. swing — music
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pitch — completely
  10. tear — to rip
  11. prune — to trim
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fine — all right
  15. craft — a skill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. swing — to play on
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. season — in sport
  22. craft — boats
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wax — in the ear

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