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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: bark · court · kick · lash · rock · fork · key · band

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. fork — in a road
  3. court — for sport
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. band — a music group
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. court — of law
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. court — of a king
  13. key — for a lock
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rock — music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. key — in music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. band — a ring

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