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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: nail · content · prune · game · dip · pitch · shower · file

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. file — a line of people
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. content — the amount
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pitch — completely
  10. prune — to trim
  11. file — a document
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. file — a tool
  15. content — happy
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. shower — to wash
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. content — videos and posts

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