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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ground — crushed
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitch — completely
  13. ground — a position
  14. tear — from crying
  15. date — the fruit
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. ground — the earth
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. tear — to rip
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitcher — a jug

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