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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 120 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. deal — to handle
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. field — a subject
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pitch — completely
  7. ball — a great time
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. snap — to click
  12. tear — from crying
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. field — farmland
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. field — for sport
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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