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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: bank · content · racket · sharp · stick · club · stand · mark

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. club — for golf
  7. mark — a trace
  8. sharp — clever
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mark — a grade
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. content — happy
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bank — for money
  17. content — the amount
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bank — for money

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