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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. row — a line
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tear — from crying
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. row — to paddle
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. tear — to rip
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. tear — from crying

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