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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 · ruler · kid · shower · fall · cabinet · rule · suit

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. kid — child
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fall — the season
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rule — a law
  22. shower — to wash
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitch — a sports field

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