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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tear — from crying
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bound — certain
  14. ball — a dance
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pitch — completely
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. tear — to rip
  22. craft — boats
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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