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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bore — to drill
  3. suit — to fit
  4. content — happy
  5. pitch — completely
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. suit — clothes
  14. content — the amount
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. chair — a professorship

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