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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. capital — money
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. tube — a container
  8. tear — from crying
  9. key — in music
  10. pound — a weight
  11. capital — a city
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. key — the most important part
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. key — for a lock
  18. tear — to rip
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pass — a permit

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