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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: pit · straw · spring · coach · staff · bore · rock · bulb

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rock — a stone
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spring — the season
  7. staff — employees
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pit — a hole
  16. spring — of water
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bore — to tire
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rock — music
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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