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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: roll · rock · toast · pitch · bore · bat · staff · coach

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. roll — a cake
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. staff — a stick
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. roll — a list
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bore — to drill
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — bread
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bat — in an idiom

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