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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: stock · land · dip · mine · mark · racket · kick · prune

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. kick — in football
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mine — for digging
  8. dip — to sink
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. land — ground
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stock — shares
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. stock — goods
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. dip — a sauce

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