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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 120 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. tear — from crying
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. tear — from crying
  7. present — there
  8. tear — to rip
  9. fine — all right
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. present — the time now
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. present — a gift
  16. pitch — completely
  17. fine — high quality
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bear — the animal

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