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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · bear · snap · firm · pitch · pit

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pit — a hole
  13. tear — from crying
  14. firm — steady
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. firm — a company

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