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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 116 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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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: pitch · bear · suit · cabinet · hide · hand · stick · mouse

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bear — the animal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hand — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pitch — completely
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bear — to put up with

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