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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: cabinet · track · rule · cold · ruler · pitch

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rule — government
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. track — a path
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rule — a law
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. cold — not warm
  16. track — a song
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. ruler — a monarch

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