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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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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: pass · straw · chair · perch · bore · lie · roll · pitch

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. roll — a cake
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. roll — a list
  16. chair — a leader
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. straw — dry grass

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