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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: bound · pitch · rest · trunk · coach · race · mark · stock

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bound — certain
  5. race — a contest
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rest — a break
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stock — goods
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pitch — completely
  20. race — humankind
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mark — a grade

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