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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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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: pit · wound · pitcher · last · bore · ground · charge · saw

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ground — a position
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. last — finally
  13. ground — the earth
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. last — to go on
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. charge — a price
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pit — in a race
  21. last — final
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pit — a hole

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