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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 116 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: cue · pit · cabinet · key · track · rock · file · hand

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. track — a path
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rock — music
  5. file — a document
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. file — a tool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pit — in a race
  10. hand — help
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cue — a signal
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rock — a stone
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cue — for pool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. track — a song
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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