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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
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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: bay · can · chair · fan · bore · pitch

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. can — a tin
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pitch — a sports field

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