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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: pitch · bore · kid · craft · court · sharp · wax · board

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. craft — a skill
  6. court — of law
  7. court — of a king
  8. kid — to tease
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. kid — child
  11. board — to get on
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. board — a committee
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. craft — boats
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pitch — completely
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. sharp — clever
  23. court — for sport
  24. wax — to grow

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