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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. ball — a great time
  4. track — to keep track
  5. suit — in cards
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mine — for digging
  10. track — a path
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. tear — to rip
  15. ball — a dance
  16. track — a song
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. tear — from crying
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. suit — to fit

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