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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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · squash · mine · pit · pass · mouse · wound · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. squash — to crush
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. wound — an injury
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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