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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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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: cue · last · bark · prune · shower · can · dip · jam

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. can — a tin
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. last — to go on
  5. prune — to trim
  6. dip — to sink
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. can — to be able to
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. can — a tin
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. last — final
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bark — to shout
  23. last — finally
  24. cue — a hint

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