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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
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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: straw · drill · pitch · pitcher · stock · cabinet · race · hide

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. drill — a practice
  3. race — humankind
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. race — the arms race
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pitch — completely
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. drill — army training
  19. race — a contest
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. stock — goods

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