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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bat — the animal
  4. tear — to rip
  5. craft — a skill
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. file — a line of people
  9. craft — boats
  10. file — a document
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. deal — to handle
  15. tear — from crying
  16. firm — decided
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. firm — a company
  20. cap — a lid
  21. tear — from crying
  22. firm — steady
  23. file — a tool
  24. court — for sport

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