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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.

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: mine · charge · mug · bass · wound · saw · wave · pitch

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mug — a cup
  3. charge — a price
  4. bass — low music
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mug — a face
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wound — an injury
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitch — completely
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. wave — of the sea

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