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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bound — obliged
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bound — tied together
  8. march — music
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. chip — for betting
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. march — the month
  14. stem — to come from
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bound — certain
  17. tear — from crying
  18. board — to get on
  19. march — the month
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. board — a committee
  23. tear — to rip
  24. stem — of a plant

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