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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. court — of law
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tube — a container
  9. pitch — completely
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. row — a line
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. court — of a king
  18. tube — the underground
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bear — the animal
  22. court — for sport
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stand — on your feet

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