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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. spring — a coil
  6. tear — from crying
  7. net — after costs
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. roll — a list
  11. rock — a stone
  12. net — in sport
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. fine — high quality
  15. spring — the season
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. roll — a cake
  19. rock — music
  20. net — for catching
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pitch — completely
  23. spring — of water
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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