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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: kick · calf · chip · arm · stock · degree · bark · jam

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. degree — an amount
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. degree — from a university
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. degree — temperature
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stock — shares
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bark — to shout
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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