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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 · tear · suit · pitch · perch · race · bound · kick

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stock — goods
  3. suit — to fit
  4. perch — the fish
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. tear — from crying
  10. race — humankind
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bound — certain
  21. kick — in football
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stock — shares
  24. tear — to rip

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