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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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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 · scale · season · tube · bay · kid · stock · club

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. season — of the year
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. kid — child
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. club — a group
  12. stock — shares
  13. scale — size or range
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. season — in sport
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tube — a container
  18. club — for golf
  19. kid — to tease
  20. tube — the underground
  21. stock — goods
  22. scale — in music
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pound — a weight

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