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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: wound · chair · bore · trunk · pass · pitch · mark · pit

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pit — a hole
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mark — a trace
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wound — an injury
  19. chair — a leader
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pass — to spend time

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