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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 124 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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. court — for sport
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. court — of a king
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. track — a song
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. stock — goods
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stock — shares
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tear — to rip
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bat — the animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. court — of law
  23. track — a path
  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