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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: club · chip · stick · stand · spell · stock · can · season

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. chip — for betting
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. club — for dancing
  5. season — of the year
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stock — goods
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. spell — magic
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. spell — a short time
  19. club — for golf
  20. season — in sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. club — a group
  23. chip — to eat
  24. spell — letters

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