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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pit — in a race
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. tear — from crying
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cap — a lid
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cap — a hat
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mine — an explosive

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