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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: ruler · bear · board · jam · fork · pitcher · tear · swing

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. swing — music
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. board — a committee
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. swing — to play on
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bear — the animal
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. tear — from crying
  24. board — to get on

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