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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
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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: patient · coach · firm · key · trunk · cue · pitch · clip

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. clip — to cut
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cue — a hint
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. clip — for paper
  8. key — in music
  9. firm — steady
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cue — for pool
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. key — the most important part
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. clip — a video
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pitch — completely
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. cue — a signal
  24. key — for a lock

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