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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 120 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: tear · bear · snap · firm · pitch · pit · deal · current

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bear — the animal
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. firm — steady
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. current — of water
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. firm — a company
  18. pit — a hole
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. firm — decided
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pitch — a sports field

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