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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: cabinet · pit · chair · suit · pitch · temple · ground · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rule — a law
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pitch — completely
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pit — a hole
  22. chair — a leader
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rule — to rule out

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