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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: pitcher · fork · fine · tear · pit · club · fall · wave

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fall — the season
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fine — all right
  6. club — for golf
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pit — a hole
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fine — high quality
  13. club — a group
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. club — for dancing
  24. tear — to rip

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