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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 120 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
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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: rock · arm · bore · trunk · pitch · cabinet · cue · ground

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rock — music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. cue — a signal
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bore — to tire
  15. ground — crushed
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ground — a position
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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