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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: pitch · cabinet · tear · rule · coach · file

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. file — a tool
  3. pitch — completely
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. file — a document
  12. tear — from crying
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rule — government
  18. tear — to rip

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