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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · hand · net · row · fork · spell · kick · club

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. row — to paddle
  4. net — in sport
  5. row — a line
  6. spell — letters
  7. saw — the tool
  8. net — for catching
  9. club — for dancing
  10. kick — in football
  11. club — a group
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. spell — a short time
  15. net — after costs
  16. spell — magic
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. hand — help
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. hand — in cards
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. club — for golf
  24. saw — the tool

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