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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · fork · ground · staff · object · bark · perch · spring

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bark — to shout
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. spring — of water
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. object — to protest
  13. fork — in a road
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. key — in music
  17. staff — employees
  18. spring — the season
  19. key — for a lock
  20. object — an aim
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. staff — employees
  24. object — a thing

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