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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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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 · cap · cabinet · row · club · bound · pitcher · land

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bound — obliged
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. land — a country
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rest — a break
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rest — what's left
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. land — to come down
  17. club — for golf
  18. land — ground
  19. bound — certain
  20. rest — what's left
  21. row — a line
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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