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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tear — from crying
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bank — for money
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bank — for money
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. swing — in golf
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. tear — from crying
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pound — a weight
  21. swing — music
  22. bass — low music
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. tear — to rip

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