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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: pitcher · kid · pitch · squash · cabinet · lie · chair · court

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. court — of law
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. squash — to crush
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. court — for sport
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. kid — child
  17. squash — the sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pitch — completely
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cabinet — ministers

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