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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. last — finally
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bat — the animal
  7. last — to go on
  8. tear — from crying
  9. last — final
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pitch — completely
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pop — music
  18. firm — a company
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. firm — decided
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pop — soda
  23. firm — steady
  24. tear — from crying

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