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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. craft — a skill
  3. tube — a container
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pitch — completely
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. dip — to sink
  10. ball — a dance
  11. tear — to rip
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. tube — the underground
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. net — after costs
  20. craft — boats
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. tube — in a tire

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