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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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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: trunk · pass · cabinet · rule · pit · chair · capital · race

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. race — humankind
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rule — government
  12. pit — in a race
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. capital — a city
  17. rule — a law
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pit — a hole
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. cabinet — ministers

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