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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 120 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: net · fine · prune · row · racket · pit · clip · object

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. clip — to cut
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. net — in sport
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fine — high quality
  12. row — to paddle
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. row — a line
  15. net — for catching
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. clip — for paper
  18. net — after costs
  19. prune — to trim
  20. object — to protest
  21. pit — a hole
  22. clip — a video
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pit — in a race

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