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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: pass · wave · rule · pitch · suit · stock · bat · foot

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. suit — to fit
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rule — a law
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. stock — shares
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rule — government
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. pitch — completely
  20. stock — goods
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wave — of the sea

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