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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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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: bear · chair · nail · present · last · pit · dip · pitch

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pit — a hole
  5. present — the time now
  6. pitch — completely
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. last — finally
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. last — to go on
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. dip — to sink
  22. last — final
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pit — in a race

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