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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pop — soda
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pitch — completely
  7. tear — from crying
  8. spring — of water
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. fine — all right
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bore — to drill
  20. spring — the season
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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