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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: ruler · chair · lie · pitch · ball · hide · kid · deal

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. lie — to recline
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pitch — completely
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. kid — to tease
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chair — a leader

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