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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: stock · pitch · hide · race · racket · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pitch — completely
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. race — a contest
  9. pit — in a race
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. race — humankind
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. 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