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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: bowl · staff · swing · pitch · kid · rash · cabinet · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — to tease
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. staff — a stick
  6. rash — hasty
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. swing — music
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. staff — employees
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. staff — employees
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bowl — to roll

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