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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: object · bat · deal · pitch · band · leaves · tear · stick

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. object — a thing
  4. band — a music group
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. object — an aim
  7. tear — from crying
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bat — the animal
  18. band — a ring
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. tear — to rip
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. object — to protest

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