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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mark — a trace
  10. can — a tin
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bat — the animal
  13. court — of law
  14. staff — employees
  15. court — of a king
  16. can — a tin
  17. ball — a great time
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. staff — a stick
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. staff — employees
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. court — for sport

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