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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 120 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: prune · racket · foot · shower · pitcher · leaves · club · dip

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. dip — to sink
  3. prune — to trim
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. club — for dancing
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. shower — to wash
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. shower — rain
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. club — a group
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. club — for golf
  23. prune — to trim
  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