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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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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: foot · stand · bulb · rule · pitch · spring · stock · chair

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. stock — goods
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pitch — completely
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rule — a law
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bulb — for light
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stock — shares
  19. rule — government
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. stand — on your feet
  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