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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: pound · stock · hand · swing · pitch · stand · cue · bark

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stock — goods
  6. hand — help
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cue — for pool
  11. swing — in golf
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cue — a signal
  19. swing — music
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cue — a hint
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stock — shares

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