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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: cue · mine · chest · suit · saw · pit · charge · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. cue — a hint
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. charge — electricity
  6. ground — crushed
  7. charge — a price
  8. pit — in a race
  9. ground — the earth
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. suit — clothes
  12. charge — in control
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chest — of your body
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mine — for digging
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. chest — a box

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