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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.

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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 · mine · saw · fork · mate · charge · chest · bass

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pit — a hole
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. chest — a box
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mine — for digging
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mate — to breed
  19. charge — in control
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pit — in a race
  24. charge — a price

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