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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · mouse · coach · cell · game · pitch · bass · nail

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cell — a phone
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. game — wild animals
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cell — in biology
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bass — low music
  21. game — a match
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. nail — for a hammer

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