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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. rule — a law
  4. capital — a city
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mug — a face
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. capital — money
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mug — a cup
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rule — government
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. club — a group
  17. mug — to rob
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. mine — for digging

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