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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: coach · pitch · rule · stand · last · stock · rest · straw

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rest — a break
  5. last — final
  6. pitch — completely
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rule — government
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rule — a law
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stock — shares
  22. last — to go on
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. last — finally

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