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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. drill — the tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stand — to bear
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pass — a permit
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. chip — for betting
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. drill — army training
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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