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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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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. court — for sport
  8. dip — to sink
  9. court — of a king
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. firm — steady
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. firm — a company
  14. row — a line
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. tear — from crying
  17. firm — decided
  18. court — of law

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