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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.

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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 · prune · net · fork · file · wake · patient · pit

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. file — a line of people
  6. net — in sport
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pit — in a race
  9. net — after costs
  10. file — a tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. file — a document
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. net — for catching

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