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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pitch — completely
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. content — happy
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. content — the amount
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. fork — in a road
  23. content — videos and posts
  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