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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.

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: cell · net · pitcher · cabinet · jam · sharp · kid · pitch

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. net — for catching
  7. kid — child
  8. pitch — completely
  9. net — after costs
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cell — a phone
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. net — in sport
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. sharp — clever
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cell — in biology

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