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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: mouse · saw · rock · pitch · hand · land · kid · dip

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. land — to come down
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kid — child
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. land — ground
  14. saw — the tool
  15. land — a country
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. hand — in cards
  20. saw — the tool
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. dip — to sink
  24. hand — help

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