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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: pound · prune · squash · sharp · stock · club · face · coach

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stock — shares
  3. prune — to trim
  4. squash — to crush
  5. club — a group
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. stock — goods
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. club — for golf
  14. face — part of the head
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. club — for dancing
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. prune — to trim
  19. face — to confront
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pound — a weight
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. coach — a trainer

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