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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. court — of a king
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. tear — to rip
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. court — of law
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pitch — completely
  14. court — for sport
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rash — hasty
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. snap — to click

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