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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 · jam · chest · ruler · bore · straw · bank · chair

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bank — for money
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bank — for money
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bank — of a river
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chest — a box

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