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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: chair · bound · ruler · fork · drill · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bound — tied together
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. drill — the tool
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pitch — completely
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bound — certain
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pitch — a sales talk

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