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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 · bark · ground · key · deal · coach · mine · firm

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. key — in music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. ground — a position
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. firm — steady
  8. fork — in a road
  9. ground — crushed
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. firm — decided
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. ground — the earth
  19. firm — a company
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mine — an explosive

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