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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. tear — to rip
  3. mug — a face
  4. tear — from crying
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. court — for sport
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pitch — completely
  14. hand — in cards
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. ball — a great time
  18. court — of a king
  19. ball — a dance
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. hand — help
  24. mug — a cup

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