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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · shower · prune · object · chest · can · dip · bark

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bark — to shout
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. object — to protest
  8. chest — of your body
  9. shower — rain
  10. object — a thing
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chest — a box
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chest — of your body
  18. can — a tin
  19. object — an aim
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. dip — to sink
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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