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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · rule · suit · cap · key · object · tube · pitch

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rule — a law
  6. suit — in cards
  7. object — a thing
  8. wound — an injury
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rule — government
  11. key — for a lock
  12. suit — to fit
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. object — an aim
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. key — in music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cap — of ice
  19. object — to protest
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cap — a lid
  22. tube — a container
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pitch — a sports field

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