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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · cabinet · wound · pitcher · net · pitch · wave · mate

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mate — to breed
  3. net — for catching
  4. mate — a friend
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. net — in sport
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mate — a partner
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. net — after costs
  24. wave — with your hand

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