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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. object — an aim
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. tear — from crying
  7. can — a tin
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. object — to protest
  11. tear — to rip
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. tear — from crying
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stand — to bear
  16. can — a tin
  17. wound — an injury
  18. object — a thing

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