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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 · stick · prune · game · perch · tube · toast · mouse

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. kick — in football
  3. game — a match
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. game — wild animals
  7. perch — the fish
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. prune — to trim
  22. toast — bread
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. game — a kind of play

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