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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: dip · pop · wind · fork · prune · pitcher · nail · file

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wind — moving air
  3. file — a document
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pop — music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. file — a tool
  9. pop — soda
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. dip — to sink
  13. fork — in a road
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. file — a line of people
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pop — to visit
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. prune — to trim

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