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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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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: prune · snap · kick · key · calf · date · racket · perch

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. prune — to trim
  4. key — the most important part
  5. kick — in football
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. key — for a lock
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. snap — to click
  14. key — in music
  15. perch — the fish
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. prune — to trim
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. date — the fruit
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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