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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: foot · stick · last · prune · shower · pitcher · rest · swing

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. swing — music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. last — finally
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. shower — to wash
  9. swing — to play on
  10. shower — rain
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rest — what's left
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rest — what's left
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rest — a break
  24. prune — the fruit

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