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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. object — a thing
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. object — an aim
  7. roll — a list
  8. tear — to rip
  9. swing — in golf
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. swing — to play on
  14. roll — a cake
  15. wake — a trail
  16. object — to protest
  17. swing — music
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. tear — from crying

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