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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: pit · band · club · season · hide · tear · object · mate

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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. mate — to breed
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. band — a ring
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. club — a group
  8. mate — a partner
  9. band — a music group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pit — a hole
  12. club — for golf
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pit — in a race
  17. season — in sport
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. season — of the year
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mate — a friend
  24. object — an aim

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