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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. tube — a container
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tear — from crying
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pit — a hole
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. prune — to trim
  23. row — to paddle
  24. racket — for tennis

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