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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: nail · branch · bark · squash · content · stock · calf · jam

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. squash — to crush
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. stock — goods
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stock — shares
  19. content — happy
  20. bark — to shout
  21. content — the amount
  22. branch — a division
  23. squash — the sport
  24. calf — a young animal

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