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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: jam · wax · prune · root · board · fan · wake · pitch

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. root — of a word
  13. board — to get on
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. prune — to trim
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. root — the cause
  23. prune — to trim
  24. board — a committee

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