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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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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: mark · cabinet · pitch · bat · kid · key · bowl · mate

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mate — a friend
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. kid — to tease
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mark — a grade
  16. kid — child
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mate — a partner

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