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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 · pitch · pitcher · mate · cue · net · file · key

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. file — a tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. file — a document
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. file — a line of people
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. net — in sport
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. net — for catching

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