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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: ball · rash · lie · club · stand · stock · spring · press

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. press — a publisher
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stock — shares
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. press — newspapers
  20. stock — goods
  21. press — to push
  22. club — for golf
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stock — a soup base

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