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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. present — a gift
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pitch — completely
  5. tear — from crying
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wind — moving air
  8. tear — to rip
  9. present — the time now
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — steady
  14. present — there
  15. sharp — clever
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. tear — from crying
  23. firm — decided
  24. bank — for money

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