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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.

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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: stick · spell · mouse · fork · mark · kick · net · prune

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. net — after costs
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. kick — in football
  10. fork — in a road
  11. spell — magic
  12. prune — to trim
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. net — for catching
  18. spell — letters
  19. net — in sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. prune — to trim

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