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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 120 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: lean · club · stick · can · ground · stand · hide · stock

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stand — to bear
  3. club — for golf
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. club — for dancing
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. ground — the earth
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ground — a position
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stock — shares
  22. lean — thin
  23. stock — goods
  24. can — to be able to

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