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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: stock · club · stand · pound · kid · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. club — for dancing
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pound — a weight
  5. club — for golf
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. club — a group
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. kid — child
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stock — goods
  18. racket — a loud noise

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