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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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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 · ground · kick · vault · bay · object · wax · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. ground — the earth
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. prune — to trim
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. kick — in football
  11. pitch — completely
  12. object — to protest
  13. ground — crushed
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. object — an aim
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. ground — a position
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. object — a thing
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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