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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. swing — in golf
  3. tear — from crying
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ground — a position
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. tear — from crying
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. staff — employees
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ground — crushed
  14. swing — music
  15. staff — a stick
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. staff — employees
  18. swing — to play on
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. club — for dancing
  21. ground — the earth
  22. club — for golf
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. club — a group

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