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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. band — a ring
  5. swing — to play on
  6. current — happening now
  7. swing — music
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. race — a contest
  12. band — a music group
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. swing — in golf
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bank — for money
  17. current — electric
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. race — humankind
  20. tear — to rip
  21. race — the arms race
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bank — for money
  24. current — of water

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