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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bound — obliged
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. tear — from crying
  7. toast — bread
  8. field — farmland
  9. bound — certain
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. field — a subject
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. tear — to rip
  17. field — for sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bound — tied together
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. racket — for tennis

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