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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: spell · tear · suit · rule · pitch · chair · cabinet · tube

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chair — a leader
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rule — government
  8. spell — letters
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rule — a law
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tube — a container
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. tear — from crying

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