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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. rush — hurry
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mark — a trace
  10. kid — child
  11. present — the time now
  12. kid — to tease
  13. chip — for betting
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pitch — completely
  17. present — there
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. tear — to rip
  20. present — a gift
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rush — to hurry

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