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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stand — to bear
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. firm — a company
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pass — a permit
  15. staff — employees
  16. firm — steady
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. firm — decided

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