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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.

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 · kid · rest · pitch · current · cabinet · pop · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. current — of water
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. current — electric
  12. pop — soda
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pitch — completely
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. kid — child
  20. hand — in cards
  21. current — happening now
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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