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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: pitch · press · saw · roll · pitcher · bore · chest · pop

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. press — to push
  3. chest — a box
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bore — to drill
  6. roll — a cake
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pop — music
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. roll — a list
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pop — soda
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pop — to visit
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. chest — of your body

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