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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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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 · jam · wake · dip · pit · foot · chip · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. chip — to eat
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. pit — in a race
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. foot — a measure
  15. dip — to sink
  16. prune — to trim
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bark — to shout
  24. wake — a trail

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