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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 120 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: stock · calf · perch · scale · pound · club · foot · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. foot — a measure
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. club — a group
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. perch — the fish
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stock — shares
  14. scale — size or range
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. scale — in music
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stock — goods
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. club — for golf
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — to hit hard

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