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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
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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: bark · mine · fork · game · stem · firm · lie · bowl

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fork — in a road
  6. firm — a company
  7. mine — for digging
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. firm — decided
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. stem — to come from
  19. game — a match
  20. lie — to recline
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. firm — steady

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