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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 116 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: bark · can · stock · deal · kick · rash · calf · ground

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stock — shares
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. can — a tin
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. ground — a position
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stock — goods
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. can — a tin
  23. ground — crushed
  24. calf — of the leg

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