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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: pit · spell · foot · chair · bank · pitch · ruler · chest

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. chest — a box
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. spell — letters
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chest — of your body
  12. spell — magic
  13. pitch — completely
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bank — for money
  17. spell — a short time
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pit — a hole
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. chest — of your body
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pit — in a race

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