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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: deal · file · net · field · current · fork · rush · bowl

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. file — a tool
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. file — a line of people
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. file — a document
  11. net — in sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. field — for sport
  18. fork — in a road
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. current — of water
  22. field — farmland
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bowl — a football final

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