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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: pitch · bank · file · straw · pass · prune · bore · foot

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pass — a permit
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. file — a document
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bank — for money
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. foot — a measure
  10. file — a line of people
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pitch — completely
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bank — for money
  21. file — a tool
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pitch — a sports field

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