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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. prune — to trim
  6. board — to get on
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. board — a committee
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. foot — a measure
  18. stock — shares
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rush — hurry
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bark — of a tree

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