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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 116 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. mine — for digging
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bound — tied together
  6. game — a match
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. game — wild animals
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bound — certain
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — obliged
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. tear — from crying
  23. object — to protest
  24. pitch — completely

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