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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. tear — to rip
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. hand — help
  9. tear — from crying
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bear — the animal
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bear — the animal
  14. craft — boats
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. craft — a skill
  17. court — of a king
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. court — of law
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  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