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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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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 · mark · current · bulb · bark · pit · pound

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. key — the most important part
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bulb — for light
  14. current — electric
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. current — of water
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mark — a grade
  22. current — happening now
  23. pit — a hole
  24. fork — in a road

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