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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: fork · safe · chair · spell · toast · bowl · net · present

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. present — a gift
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. net — in sport
  5. present — the time now
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. toast — bread
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. present — there
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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