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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.

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: chip · stock · pound · bark · toast · wound · roll · calf

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. chip — to eat
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. roll — a list
  6. toast — bread
  7. stock — goods
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bark — to shout
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wound — an injury
  15. roll — a cake
  16. stock — shares
  17. pound — a weight
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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