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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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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: stock · club · stand · pound · kid · racket · lash · prune

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. club — for golf
  5. stock — shares
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pound — a weight
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stock — goods
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stand — to bear
  17. kid — to tease
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. club — a group
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. kid — child
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. club — for dancing
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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