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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: bay · bore · press · ball · saw · stand · chair · club

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. press — to push
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bore — to tire
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. chair — a leader
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. club — for golf
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stand — to bear
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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