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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: pit · rule · tube · club · suit · cabinet · root · cold

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. club — for golf
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rule — a law
  5. pit — a hole
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cold — an illness
  8. tube — a container
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. club — a group
  18. cold — not warm
  19. root — of a word
  20. suit — clothes
  21. club — for dancing
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rule — government
  24. suit — to fit

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