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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: bore · club · pitch · pass · rock · chest · coach · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pitch — completely
  8. chest — a box
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pass — a permit
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bore — to drill
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rock — music
  20. club — a group
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rock — a stone
  24. spring — the season

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