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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · bore · fork · bark · track · sharp · dip · fall

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bore — to tire
  8. court — of a king
  9. fall — to drop
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. track — a path
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. sharp — clever
  15. track — a song
  16. fall — the season
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bark — to shout
  21. track — to keep track
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fall — to drop

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