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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. tear — from crying
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bass — the fish
  6. track — a path
  7. tear — to rip
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. bank — for money
  11. track — to keep track
  12. degree — temperature
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bass — low music
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bank — of a river
  18. track — a song
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stock — goods
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bank — for money

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