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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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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: kick · bowl · rock · kid · ruler · pitch · straw · cabinet

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. kid — child
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. kick — in football
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kid — to tease

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