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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: snap · net · file · mug · chair · bore · rock · pitcher

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rock — music
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. net — after costs
  9. bore — to tire
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. snap — to click
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mug — a face
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — in sport
  24. bore — to drill

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