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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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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: deal · stick · mouse · chest · hide · pitch · pitcher · lash

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. chest — a box
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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