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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.

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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: mug · row · sharp · band · pitch · file · cabinet · cue

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mug — a face
  4. band — a ring
  5. cue — a signal
  6. file — a tool
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. band — a music group
  12. cue — a hint
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. file — a document
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. sharp — clever
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. file — a line of people

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