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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: key · bore · bound · perch · chip · stand · pitch · pop

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pop — music
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. key — in music
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. chip — to eat
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pop — to visit
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bound — certain
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bound — tied together
  20. chip — for betting
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pop — soda

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