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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.

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: cabinet · patient · branch · chest · bound · key · pitch · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. chest — a box
  3. bound — tied together
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. key — in music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. chest — of your body
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pitch — completely
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bound — certain
  15. club — for golf
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. chest — of your body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. club — for dancing
  22. key — for a lock
  23. branch — a division
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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