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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: cabinet · arm · cap · pitch · club · date · rock · press

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. press — newspapers
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rock — music
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rock — a stone
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. club — a group
  14. cap — a hat
  15. date — the fruit
  16. club — for golf
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. club — for dancing
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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