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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: snap · season · pit · tube · mine · scale · bass · saw

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mine — for digging
  6. tube — a container
  7. bass — low music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. scale — in music
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bass — the fish
  12. season — of the year
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. snap — to click
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. season — in sport
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. scale — size or range
  23. tube — the underground
  24. season — to add flavour

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