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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 120 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: cabinet · stand · kid · hide · pitch · track · mate · leaves

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mate — to breed
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. kid — to tease
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. kid — child
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. track — a path

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