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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: hide · pitch · cabinet · scale · jam · rush · stick · sharp

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. scale — in music
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pitch — completely
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. scale — size or range
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. jam — in traffic

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