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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 · racket · suit · drill · saw · cap · tear · firm

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. tear — from crying
  3. saw — the tool
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pit — in a race
  7. tear — from crying
  8. suit — in cards
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tear — to rip
  11. firm — steady
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cap — a lid
  18. drill — the tool
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. drill — army training
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. saw — the tool
  24. suit — clothes

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