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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bound — tied together
  4. ground — a position
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ground — crushed
  9. lean — to bend
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ground — the earth
  16. lean — thin
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stand — to bear
  21. tear — to rip
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bound — certain
  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