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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: stand · club · pop · mate · wake · swing · bulb · stock

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. club — a group
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stock — shares
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. club — for golf
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pop — soda
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mate — to breed
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pop — music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. swing — music
  24. stand — on your feet

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