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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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Word bank
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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 · degree · bear · can · pitch · ball · lash · leaves

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. degree — an amount
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pitch — completely
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. can — a tin
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. can — a tin
  15. tear — from crying
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. ball — a great time
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pitch — a sports field

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