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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 116 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: stock · pound · club · staff · pit · press

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pound — a weight
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. club — a group
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. staff — employees
  9. press — newspapers
  10. staff — employees
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. press — to push
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. pit — in a race
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pit — a hole

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