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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: straw · firm · swing · dip · stock · tear · club · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. club — for dancing
  3. swing — music
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. firm — a company
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. swing — to play on
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stock — goods
  10. dip — to sink
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. club — a group
  13. firm — decided
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. swing — in golf
  16. firm — steady
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. club — for golf
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stock — shares

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