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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: drill · racket · present · calf · bark · stock · fall · straw

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. present — there
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stock — shares
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bark — to shout
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stock — goods
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fall — to drop
  15. present — a gift
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. drill — army training
  18. present — the time now
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fall — to drop
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  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