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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: fork · sharp · object · rock · band · tear · pop · bark

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. fork — in a road
  3. rock — music
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rock — a stone
  6. tear — to rip
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. tear — from crying
  10. object — to protest
  11. pop — to visit
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. band — a ring
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bark — of a tree

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