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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: pitch · face · cue · cabinet · pound · drill · club · nail

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. club — for dancing
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. club — a group
  10. pound — a weight
  11. drill — army training
  12. cue — for pool
  13. club — for golf
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. drill — a practice
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pitch — completely
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. face — part of the head

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