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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: pitcher · swing · snap · foot · prune · bass · bark · row

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. row — a line
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. foot — a measure
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bass — low music
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. snap — to click
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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