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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: tube · cabinet · pitch · hide · bulb · swing · arm · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. swing — in golf
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bat — the animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. tube — a container
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. swing — music
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tube — the underground
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bulb — for light
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pitch — completely

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