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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pit · wound · mouse · prune · ground · game · chair · wax

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ground — a position
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wound — an injury
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wound — an injury
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. prune — to trim

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