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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: mine · season · wax · club · bore · bulb · pitch · craft

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. season — in sport
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bore — to tire
  11. season — of the year
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bore — to drill
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mine — for digging
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pitch — completely
  24. club — for golf

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