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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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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 · club · bark · wound · spring · toast · pit · cue

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. club — a group
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cue — a signal
  6. club — for golf
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. toast — bread
  12. spring — of water
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spring — the season
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. spring — a coil
  24. pit — in a race

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