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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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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 · pit · land · perch · track · rush · swing · bear

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. land — a country
  6. track — a song
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. land — to come down
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. track — to keep track
  14. tear — to rip
  15. perch — the fish
  16. track — a path
  17. land — ground
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rush — hurry
  20. swing — music
  21. pit — a hole
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. tear — from crying

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