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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: saw · foot · wound · trunk · hand · present · bore · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pitch — completely
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. present — a gift
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. present — the time now
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bore — to tire
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. present — there
  17. hand — help
  18. wound — an injury
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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