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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.

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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: saw · chip · stick · pitch · nail · bore · press · craft

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bore — to tire
  4. saw — the tool
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — the tool
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. chip — to eat
  10. craft — boats
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. press — a publisher
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. press — newspapers
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. press — to push

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