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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: bore · saw · track · trunk · chair · pitch · rash · pitcher

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rash — a series
  3. pitch — completely
  4. track — to keep track
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. track — a path
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. track — a song
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bore — to tire
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rash — hasty

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