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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: foot · coach · stock · rest · pitch · arm · row · mate

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rest — a break
  3. pitch — completely
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stock — shares
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stock — goods
  15. mate — a friend
  16. row — a line
  17. mate — a partner
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pitch — a sports field

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