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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: pitch · coach · temple · bound · bore · trunk · pound · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bore — to tire
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bound — certain
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pound — a weight
  17. chair — a leader
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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