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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. tear — from crying
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. tear — from crying
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. spring — of water
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. spring — the season
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stand — to bear
  21. spring — a coil
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pit — a hole

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