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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: fall · date · bark · craft · mug · foot · calf · stock

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mug — a face
  3. fall — the season
  4. bark — to shout
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. craft — a skill
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mug — to rob
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. craft — boats
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. fall — to drop
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. mug — a cup
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. date — the fruit
  23. foot — a measure
  24. craft — a handicraft

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