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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 · racket · mug · band · prune · plane · swing · dip

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. swing — music
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mug — a face
  7. kick — in football
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. band — a ring
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. swing — in golf
  13. dip — to sink
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. swing — to play on
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. prune — to trim
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. racket — for tennis
  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