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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · game · arm · spell · object · nail · bear · net

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. spell — a short time
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. object — an aim
  6. net — after costs
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. game — a match
  9. spell — letters
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. game — wild animals
  18. object — to protest
  19. fork — in a road
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. spell — magic
  22. bear — the animal
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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