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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: deal · roll · mine · pitch · saw · ground · pass · arm

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. roll — a cake
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. ground — the earth
  7. roll — a list
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. ground — crushed
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ground — a position
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. saw — the tool
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. arm — a part of something

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