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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · chair · stock · roll · hide · season · pitch · arm

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. roll — a cake
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. roll — a list
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pitch — completely
  10. season — in sport
  11. stand — to bear
  12. season — of the year
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stock — shares
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. hide — to keep secret

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