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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: stock · mine · bark · arm · coach · nail · calf · can

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mine — for digging
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. can — a tin
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stock — shares
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. can — a tin
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mine — an explosive

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