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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 · content · bear · pitcher · bore · pound · staff · chair

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bore — to drill
  6. content — happy
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. staff — a stick
  9. content — the amount
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pound — a weight
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bore — to tire

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