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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: suit · sharp · pitch · rule · cabinet · club · bulb · spring

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. club — a group
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rule — a law
  12. spring — of water
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. spring — the season
  18. suit — to fit
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rule — government

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