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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pitch — completely
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stock — goods
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. key — in music
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rash — hasty
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rash — a series
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. band — a ring
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stock — shares
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. key — for a lock
  22. band — a music group
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ruler — for measuring

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