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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: spring · hide · cabinet · mark · cue · bound · mate · pitch

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cue — a signal
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. spring — a coil
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bound — certain
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. spring — of water
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mate — to breed
  24. hide — to keep secret

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