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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 120 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: wax · field · mark · pitcher · prune · bulb · plane · club

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. field — farmland
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. club — a group
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wax — to grow
  14. club — for golf
  15. field — for sport
  16. mark — a trace
  17. field — a subject
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bulb — for light
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. plane — in geometry

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