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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: ground · straw · bank · bore · firm · coach · pitch · pit

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bank — for money
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pit — in a race
  14. firm — steady
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ground — a position
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pit — a hole
  21. firm — decided
  22. ground — the earth
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bank — for money

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