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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: present · pit · club · rule · stand · roll · staff · cabinet

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. present — the time now
  5. staff — employees
  6. rule — a law
  7. present — a gift
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — to bear
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pit — in a race
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rule — government
  18. staff — employees
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. staff — a stick
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. roll — a list

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