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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. tear — from crying
  3. season — in sport
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. board — to get on
  6. tear — from crying
  7. board — a committee
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. season — of the year
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bear — the animal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. roll — a list
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tear — to rip
  24. roll — a cake

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