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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: pitch · stock · straw · rest · toast · wave · arm · rule

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stock — shares
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rest — a break
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pitch — completely
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rule — government
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. toast — bread
  21. rule — a law
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stock — goods

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