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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: bulb · cabinet · arm · rush · pitcher · object · bowl · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rule — government
  7. object — an aim
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. object — to protest
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bulb — for light
  19. object — a thing
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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