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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: mark · bark · hide · firm · pound · bowl · fork · drill

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pound — a weight
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mark — a trace
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. drill — army training
  13. firm — a company
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mark — to pay attention

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