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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 120 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: cue · net · fork · bore · rule · bark · stem · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. net — for catching
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bark — to shout
  9. net — after costs
  10. key — in music
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rule — government
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bore — to drill
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rule — a law
  20. net — in sport
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cue — a hint

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