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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: prune · dip · snap · mouse · craft · current · rock · fork

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. dip — to sink
  3. snap — to click
  4. current — of water
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. current — happening now
  9. rock — music
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. current — electric
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. craft — boats
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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