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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. degree — temperature
  4. tear — from crying
  5. present — a gift
  6. tear — to rip
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. net — in sport
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. firm — a company
  16. present — there
  17. degree — an amount
  18. present — the time now
  19. net — for catching
  20. firm — decided
  21. lie — to recline
  22. net — after costs
  23. firm — steady
  24. pitcher — a jug

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