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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: stock · club · swing · perch · track · can · tube · saw

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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 — for golf
  2. track — a song
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stock — shares
  5. swing — music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. can — to be able to
  8. club — a group
  9. saw — the tool
  10. swing — in golf
  11. track — a path
  12. saw — the tool
  13. club — for dancing
  14. tube — a container
  15. swing — to play on
  16. perch — the fish
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. track — to keep track
  19. can — a tin
  20. stock — goods
  21. can — a tin
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. tube — in a tire
  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