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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: stick · rule · pit · mouse · club · cabinet · shower · cap

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. club — for golf
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — government
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cap — of ice
  14. shower — to wash
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rule — a law
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. shower — rain
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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