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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · pit · staff · game · ground · bay · tear · sharp

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pit — in a race
  4. season — in sport
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. staff — employees
  10. tear — from crying
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. ground — a position
  22. game — a match
  23. ground — crushed
  24. sharp — clever

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