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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 120 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: kid · stock · calf · stand · current · pound · squash · file

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. file — a line of people
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. current — happening now
  7. kid — child
  8. stock — shares
  9. kid — to tease
  10. file — a tool
  11. current — electric
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stock — goods
  19. current — of water
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. file — a document
  24. pound — a weight

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