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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 116 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 · bear · rash · tear · pit · mate · field · pitch

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bear — the animal
  11. field — a subject
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pit — a hole
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rest — what's left
  17. field — for sport
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rest — what's left
  20. field — farmland
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rest — a break
  24. mate — a partner

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