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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: temple · club · bark · key · hand · prune · rush · fork

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bark — to shout
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. club — a group
  7. fork — in a road
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. key — the most important part
  11. hand — in cards
  12. key — for a lock
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. prune — to trim
  17. club — for golf
  18. prune — to trim
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. key — in music
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. hand — help
  24. rush — hurry

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