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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: spring · rock · swing · stand · prune · rash · wax · pitch

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. spring — of water
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rock — music
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pitch — completely
  8. swing — music
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. spring — the season
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. prune — to trim
  13. spring — a coil
  14. prune — to trim
  15. swing — to play on
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. swing — in golf
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rock — a stone
  24. prune — the fruit

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