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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. object — a thing
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cap — a hat
  11. object — to protest
  12. net — after costs
  13. track — a song
  14. bore — to drill
  15. object — an aim
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. game — wild animals
  18. track — a path
  19. cap — of ice
  20. net — for catching
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cap — a lid
  24. net — in sport

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