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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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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. lean — thin
  6. stock — shares
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — goods
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. foot — a measure

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