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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. tear — to rip
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. hand — help
  10. stand — to bear
  11. current — of water
  12. pitch — completely
  13. tear — from crying
  14. current — electric
  15. tear — from crying
  16. root — of a word
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. root — the cause
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. root — of a plant
  23. current — happening now
  24. hand — in cards

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