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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bear — the animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pit — in a race
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pit — a hole
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bear — the animal
  24. tear — from crying

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