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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · march · stock · hand · calf · coach · patient · bark

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. march — the month
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. squash — the sport
  13. march — the month
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stock — shares
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. squash — to crush
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stock — goods
  21. march — music
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. hand — in cards

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