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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 120 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: mark · nail · spell · fork · straw · mouse · field · chip

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. chip — to eat
  4. field — a subject
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. spell — letters
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — farmland
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mark — a grade
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chip — for betting
  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