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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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. content — videos and posts
  4. face — part of the head
  5. tear — to rip
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. content — the amount
  10. net — after costs
  11. face — to point toward
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bound — obliged
  14. net — in sport
  15. ball — a great time
  16. tear — from crying
  17. content — happy
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. chair — a leader
  21. face — to confront
  22. net — for catching
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. racket — for tennis

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