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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 · present · fall · mark · bulb · fine · swing

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. swing — in golf
  3. present — there
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fine — all right
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. fall — to drop
  9. swing — music
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fall — the season
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bark — to shout
  24. present — a gift

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