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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 · staff · dip · wound · ball · fork · pit · mark

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fork — in a road
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. ball — a great time
  13. tear — from crying
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pit — a hole
  16. staff — employees
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mark — a trace
  23. tear — from crying
  24. dip — to dunk

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