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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 116 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 · lash · stick · row · pitch · fine · key · band

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. key — the most important part
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — a line
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fine — all right
  8. key — in music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pitch — completely
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. band — a ring
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. band — a music group
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fine — high quality

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