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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 116 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: prune · content · dip · wound · track · perch · object · pit

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. prune — to trim
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. track — to keep track
  6. dip — to sink
  7. track — a song
  8. content — the amount
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. object — a thing
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pit — a hole
  16. prune — to trim
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wound — an injury
  20. object — to protest
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. object — an aim
  23. track — a path
  24. content — happy

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