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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. tear — from crying
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ground — crushed
  6. board — a committee
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rest — what's left
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rest — a break
  19. board — to get on
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. ground — a position
  24. bound — obliged

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