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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.

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: roll · hide · bulb · pitch · club · cabinet · scale · arm

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. club — for dancing
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. scale — in music
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. roll — a list
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. club — for golf
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. club — a group
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pitch — completely
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. roll — a cake

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