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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. can — to be able to
  3. game — a match
  4. tear — from crying
  5. hand — help
  6. can — a tin
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bark — to shout
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. tear — from crying
  24. deal — to handle

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