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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: bore · stock · chair · mug · pitch · race · stick · rest

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. rest — what's left
  3. race — a contest
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. race — humankind
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bore — to tire
  9. chair — a leader
  10. mug — a face
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stock — shares
  13. rest — a break
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mug — a cup
  16. race — the arms race
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pitch — completely
  22. mug — to rob
  23. stock — goods
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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