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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 · kick · trunk · firm · bore · field · chair · current

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. current — happening now
  4. pitch — completely
  5. kick — in football
  6. firm — decided
  7. current — of water
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bore — to tire
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. field — for sport
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. field — a subject
  15. firm — steady
  16. bore — to drill
  17. field — farmland
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. current — electric

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