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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stand — to bear
  8. face — to point toward
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mine — for digging
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. face — to confront
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pitch — completely

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