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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: chair · fall · pit · content · cabinet · ruler

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. content — the amount
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fall — to drop
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fall — the season
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. 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