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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: sharp · mouse · land · pop · straw · pit · calf · bark

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bark — to shout
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. land — a country
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. pit — a hole
  13. sharp — clever
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pop — music
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pop — soda

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