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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: sharp · pitcher · coach · date · dip · wax · prune · pitch

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitch — completely
  12. prune — to trim
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. dip — a sauce

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