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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 · hand · spring · bass · cue · pitch · key · plane

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitch — completely
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. key — in music
  14. bass — low music
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cue — a signal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bass — the fish
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. spring — of water
  22. hand — help
  23. key — for a lock
  24. plane — an aircraft

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