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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.

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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: racket · tear · tube · bat · prune · present · mark · fine

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bat — the animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. tear — from crying
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tear — to rip
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. tube — a container
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mark — a trace
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fine — all right
  21. mark — a grade
  22. present — a gift
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fine — high quality

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