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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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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 · object · stock · hand · calf · last · date · fork

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. date — the fruit
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. last — to go on
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stock — shares
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fork — in a road
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. last — final
  15. stock — goods
  16. last — finally
  17. object — a thing
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. hand — help
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stock — a soup base

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