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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: cabinet · board · hide · hand · pitcher · perch · stick · cue

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. board — to get on
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. board — a committee
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cue — for pool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cue — a signal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hand — in cards

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