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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: prune · object · tube · racket · pitch · dip · land · fine

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fine — all right
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fine — high quality
  6. tube — a container
  7. object — an aim
  8. dip — to sink
  9. object — to protest
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pitch — completely
  12. land — to come down
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. tube — the underground
  24. prune — to trim

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