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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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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: pound · rash · hide · pitch · toast · arm · cabinet · cap

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pound — a weight
  6. cap — a lid
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rash — a series
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pitch — completely
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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