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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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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: bear · chair · staff · bay · pitcher · coach · bore · rest

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. staff — employees
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. staff — employees
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bore — to tire
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chair — a leader
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rest — a break

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