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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: toast · bark · bore · shower · fork · wake · mine · club

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. shower — rain
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. club — a group
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bark — to shout

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