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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: saw · degree · suit · drill · pit · charge · tear · bear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bear — the animal
  7. degree — an amount
  8. charge — in control
  9. drill — army training
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. suit — in cards
  12. saw — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. tear — from crying
  16. degree — from a university
  17. tear — from crying
  18. saw — the tool
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pit — a hole
  21. drill — the tool
  22. charge — a price
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pit — in a race

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