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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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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: deal · pitch · bore · rush · cabinet · saw · pit · straw

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rush — hurry
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pit — in a race
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pit — a hole
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pitch — completely
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rush — a thrill

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