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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 help me carry this box?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. ground — a position
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. can — a tin
  7. tear — from crying
  8. game — a match
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. rock — music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ground — the earth
  14. can — a tin
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. ground — crushed
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ball — a dance
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rock — a stone
  24. fan — a supporter

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