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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: cabinet · band · patient · pitch · pop · pit · cue · clip

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pop — soda
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pop — to visit
  7. band — a music group
  8. cue — a hint
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. clip — a video
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pit — a hole
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pit — in a race
  17. band — a ring
  18. clip — for paper
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pop — music
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. clip — to cut

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