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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: face · rule · pitch · foot · stock · cue · race · pit

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rule — a law
  7. stock — shares
  8. rule — government
  9. stock — goods
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. race — a contest
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. pit — a hole
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pitch — completely
  22. race — humankind
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pit — in a race

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