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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: fall · face · cue · jam · cabinet · branch · file · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. branch — a division
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cue — a signal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cue — a hint
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fall — the season
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. face — to point toward
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. fall — to drop
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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