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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tear — from crying
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tear — from crying
  8. board — to get on
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. tube — a container
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tear — to rip
  24. rash — a series

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