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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: dip · perch · prune · chest · club · pit · nail · fork

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. club — for golf
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chest — a box
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pit — in a race
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fork — in a road
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pit — a hole
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chest — of your body

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