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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: pitch · rest · kick · rule · dip · land · cue · stock

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. rule — government
  5. rest — what's left
  6. dip — to sink
  7. kick — in football
  8. rest — a break
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. land — ground
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. land — a country
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cue — for pool
  22. land — to come down
  23. cue — a hint
  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