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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: calf · trunk · rock · stock · bat · bear · drill · pound

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. drill — army training
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bear — the animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. stock — goods
  23. bear — the animal
  24. drill — the tool

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