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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 120 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: mark · mine · wound · board · pitch · pass · game · cabinet

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. board — to get on
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wound — an injury
  16. game — a match
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wound — an injury
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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