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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 120 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: bound · pitch · ruler · drill · cabinet · rule · trunk · chest

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bound — certain
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bound — tied together
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. chest — a box
  13. bound — obliged
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. drill — army training
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pitch — completely

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