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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: can · mug · wound · tube · pitch · season · mine · mate

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mug — a face
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wound — an injury
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mate — a partner
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mug — to rob
  18. season — in sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. season — of the year
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pitch — a sports field

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