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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 116 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: rest · cabinet · rule · rock · pitch · hide · drill · content

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rock — music
  18. content — the amount
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. drill — army training
  24. rest — what's left

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