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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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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: cabinet · pit · wound · rock · cap · march · rule · perch

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. wound — an injury
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cap — of ice
  7. march — music
  8. pit — a hole
  9. march — the month
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cap — a lid
  13. march — the month
  14. rule — government
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rock — music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rule — a law
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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