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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pop — to visit
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. object — a thing
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pop — soda
  10. object — to protest
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. kid — to tease
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pop — music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pitch — completely
  24. object — an aim

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