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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 · chip · sharp · wind · bore · stem · stick · dip

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wind — moving air
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. chip — for betting
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pitch — completely
  24. wind — moving air

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