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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. root — of a word
  4. band — a ring
  5. suit — clothes
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pitch — completely
  9. chip — for betting
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. dip — to sink
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. band — a music group
  15. chip — to eat
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. row — to paddle
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. suit — in cards
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. row — a line

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