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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 120 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bank — for money
  7. press — to push
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. key — in music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. press — newspapers
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bank — for money
  18. press — a publisher
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bat — the animal
  24. stand — to bear

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