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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: rule · wake · pitch · cap · toast · mine · bank · suit

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. cap — a hat
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pitch — completely
  7. suit — to fit
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rule — a law
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rule — government
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bank — for money

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