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

Word bank: rest · deal · cap · roll · cell · tear · pitch · bark

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. roll — a list
  6. tear — to rip
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rest — what's left
  11. roll — a cake
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rest — a break
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bark — to shout
  23. roll — on a roll
  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