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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 116 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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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: chip · bound · pit · pitch · saw · bay · racket · mine

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. chip — to eat
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pit — in a race
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bound — certain
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pitch — completely
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mine — for digging

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