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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: mark · hide · firm · kid · land · cabinet · bark · pitch

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bark — to shout
  3. firm — decided
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. land — to come down
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mark — a grade
  11. kid — to tease
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. firm — a company
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pitch — completely
  20. firm — steady
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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