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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: pit · saw · mouse · cabinet · fork · pass · wound · swing

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pit — in a race
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pit — a hole
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. swing — music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. saw — the tool
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wound — an injury

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