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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 · pop · cap · pitch · file · wax · bear · bowl

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. file — a tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cap — a lid
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pop — music
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. craft — boats
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pop — soda
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pitch — completely
  19. file — a document
  20. pop — to visit
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cap — of ice

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