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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: dip · racket · stand · stick · mug · prune · field · kick

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. field — a subject
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mug — a face
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. prune — to trim
  16. dip — to sink
  17. field — farmland
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. field — for sport
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. kick — in football

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