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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: jam · saw · degree · pitch · fine · land · mate · charge

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. land — to come down
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fine — all right
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. fine — high quality
  13. degree — from a university
  14. land — ground
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mate — a partner
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. land — a country
  20. charge — in control
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitch — completely
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. fine — a penalty

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