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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. stand — to bear
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. scale — in music
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pit — a hole

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