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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: club · lean · stock · track · pitcher · game · can · jam

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. game — wild animals
  3. track — to keep track
  4. club — for golf
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stock — goods
  7. club — a group
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. can — a tin
  15. stock — shares
  16. can — to be able to
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. can — a tin
  19. track — a path
  20. game — a match
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. club — for dancing
  23. lean — thin
  24. track — a song

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