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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 116 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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. tear — from crying
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. root — the cause
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. band — a ring
  10. pitch — completely
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. track — to keep track
  14. tear — to rip
  15. track — a song
  16. tear — from crying
  17. root — of a plant
  18. track — a path
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. band — a music group
  22. root — of a word
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. hide — animal skin

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