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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: mug · pitcher · bound · wave · mine · pit · saw · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bound — certain
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pit — in a race
  8. present — a gift
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. present — there
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. saw — the tool

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