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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 120 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 · shower · rule · saw · pitch · bound · pit · mug

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bound — tied together
  5. shower — rain
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rule — a law
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mug — a face
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mug — a cup
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bound — certain
  24. rest — a break

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