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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. present — there
  3. rest — a break
  4. present — a gift
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. club — for golf
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pitch — completely
  13. press — newspapers
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ground — a position
  18. press — to push
  19. present — the time now
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bound — obliged
  23. club — a group
  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