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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 120 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: coach · last · staff · perch · chip · pit · bore · ground

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. last — to go on
  7. staff — employees
  8. perch — the fish
  9. chip — for betting
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. last — final
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bore — to tire
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. chip — to eat
  21. last — finally
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. staff — employees
  24. coach — a trainer

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