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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. root — of a word
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. ground — the earth
  11. firm — decided
  12. scale — in music
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. root — the cause
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ground — crushed
  17. firm — steady
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. firm — a company
  21. bass — low music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. ground — a position
  24. bat — the animal

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