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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: cell · rule · field · pitcher · cap · board · cabinet · suit

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cap — a lid
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. field — for sport
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. cap — of ice
  11. field — a subject
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. board — a committee
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rule — government
  17. cell — in biology
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. board — to get on
  24. field — farmland

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