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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: pitcher · fall · chair · rest · pound · foot · bore · object

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. object — to protest
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chair — a leader
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bore — to tire
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bore — to drill
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — a weight
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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