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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 116 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: can · stick · net · prune · kick · chip · dip · mouse

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. can — a tin
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. net — for catching
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. prune — to trim
  20. dip — to sink
  21. chip — to eat
  22. kick — in football
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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