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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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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 · wax · prune · fork · cap · cue · pound · chip

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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. cap — a hat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pound — a weight
  11. chip — to eat
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pitch — a sports field

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