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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 · key · bore · mark · sharp · net · spring

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. key — in music
  3. net — in sport
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bore — to tire
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. key — the most important part
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. spring — of water
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mark — a trace
  17. spring — the season
  18. net — after costs
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. net — for catching
  22. spring — a coil
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. sharp — clever

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