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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: stock · pitch · toast · fine · rest · prune · bore · chair

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. fine — all right
  5. stock — goods
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stock — shares
  8. pitch — completely
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rest — what's left
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bore — to tire
  24. toast — bread

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