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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: deal · ruler · wake · staff · rule · key · cabinet · pitch

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. deal — to handle
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. staff — employees
  9. rule — a law
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rule — government
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pitch — completely
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wake — a trail
  19. staff — employees
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. key — in music

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