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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. band — a music group
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. tear — from crying
  10. band — a ring
  11. present — a gift
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. present — the time now
  19. saw — the tool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. present — there
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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