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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: stock · bore · bark · fork · key · rock · track · prune

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. stock — shares
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fork — in a road
  8. stock — goods
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bark — to shout
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. key — in music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bore — to tire
  17. track — a path
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — a song

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