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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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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: bear · pitcher · straw · kid · prune · stick · pit · wax

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wax — to grow
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kid — to tease
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pit — a hole
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. kid — child
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitcher — a jug

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