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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pass · pitch · safe · fine · file · season · mine · saw

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. season — of the year
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a document
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. season — in sport
  18. saw — the tool
  19. file — a tool
  20. pitch — completely
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mine — for digging
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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