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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: track · kick · craft · can · pitcher · club · wax · leaves

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. track — a path
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. can — a tin
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. track — a song
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wax — to grow
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. track — to keep track
  14. kick — in football
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. can — a tin
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. craft — a skill
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. club — a group
  23. craft — boats
  24. club — for golf

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