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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: craft · pitch · bore · foot · track · wax · mate · cue

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bore — to tire
  9. craft — boats
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. track — a path
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cue — a hint
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mate — to breed
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mate — a friend
  21. track — a song
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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