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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. ground — the earth
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. row — a line
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bank — for money
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ground — a position
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. ground — crushed
  22. prune — to trim
  23. row — to paddle
  24. dip — to sink

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