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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. scale — in music
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. club — for dancing
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. club — a group
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. tear — to rip
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. present — the time now
  13. race — the arms race
  14. foot — a measure
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. scale — size or range
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. club — for golf
  22. mine — for digging
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. tear — from crying

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