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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: spring · dip · row · jam · pitch · shower · craft · bark

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bark — to shout
  4. spring — a coil
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. row — a line
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. spring — of water
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. craft — boats
  19. pitch — completely
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. spring — the season
  24. craft — a skill

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