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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: craft · leaves · mark · pitcher · wax · pit · kid · bay

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mark — a grade
  14. kid — to tease
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kid — child
  20. mark — a trace
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. craft — boats

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