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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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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: kick · stock · racket · kid · spell · present · arm · prune

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. present — there
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. present — the time now
  9. stock — shares
  10. spell — magic
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stock — goods
  13. kid — child
  14. prune — to trim
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. present — a gift
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — in football
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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