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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — a line
  5. pit — a hole
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bear — the animal
  10. toast — bread
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bear — the animal
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pitch — completely
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. row — to paddle
  22. tear — from crying
  23. key — in music
  24. tear — to rip

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