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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: can · ruler · dip · prune · clip · pitcher · kid · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. can — a tin
  5. ball — a great time
  6. kid — to tease
  7. prune — to trim
  8. clip — for paper
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — a video
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. kid — child
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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