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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: calf · stock · bark · present · scale · band · pound · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. scale — size or range
  3. present — a gift
  4. bark — to shout
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. can — a tin
  8. stock — shares
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. stock — goods
  12. scale — in music
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. band — a music group
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. band — a ring
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. can — to be able to

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