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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cap — a hat
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. tear — to rip
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. sharp — clever
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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