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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: fork · pop · cue · firm · mine · charge · spring · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bark — to shout
  4. firm — a company
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pop — music
  8. charge — in control
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cue — for pool
  12. spring — of water
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pop — soda
  16. mine — for digging
  17. spring — a coil
  18. firm — decided
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. firm — steady
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. charge — a price
  24. spring — the season

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