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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: scale · hand · pitch · rash · stand · game · hide · cabinet

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. scale — size or range
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. game — a kind of play

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