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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 116 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: pit · rest · race · racket · pop · pitch · stand · straw

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. race — humankind
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. rest — a break
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pop — soda
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. race — a contest
  18. pop — to visit
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rest — what's left
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pop — music
  24. straw — dry grass

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