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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rash — a series
  7. squash — the sport
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. squash — to crush
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. season — of the year
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. craft — boats
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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