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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: pitcher · pass · prune · wave · content · fan · field · craft

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. field — farmland
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. field — a subject
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. prune — to trim
  21. field — for sport
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. wave — of the sea

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