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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 120 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
468
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 · last · game · swing · track · fine · pitch · stick

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. last — to go on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. last — final
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. last — finally
  7. track — a path
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. track — a song
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. game — a match
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. game — wild animals

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