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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.

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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 · cabinet · rest · net · kid · hide · court · ruler

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. court — of a king
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rest — what's left
  5. net — in sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitch — completely
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. kid — to tease
  13. court — for sport
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rest — a break
  23. kid — child
  24. court — of law

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