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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bore — to drill
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bank — for money
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bank — for money
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. band — a ring
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. band — a music group
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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