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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pitch — completely
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fall — the season
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pop — music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pop — to visit
  11. dip — to sink
  12. current — of water
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ball — a great time
  15. current — electric
  16. tear — from crying
  17. current — happening now
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. tear — to rip
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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