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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · mine · pitcher · wake · bark · vault · dip · prune

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. prune — to trim
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wake — a trail
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. drill — a practice
  23. vault — a safe
  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