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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: calf · net · hand · field · spell · scale · dip · bowl

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. hand — help
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. scale — in music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. spell — magic
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. spell — a short time
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. net — in sport
  16. spell — letters
  17. net — after costs
  18. hand — in cards
  19. scale — size or range
  20. net — for catching
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — for sport
  24. hand — part of the body

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