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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: fork · cap · kid · pop · bark · object · key · fine

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pop — music
  5. object — to protest
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pop — soda
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cap — of ice
  11. object — an aim
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fork — in a road
  14. key — in music
  15. fine — all right
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. key — the most important part
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fine — high quality
  23. object — a thing
  24. kid — child

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