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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: racket · last · bay · fork · spell · bear · wound · net

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. spell — letters
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. net — after costs
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spell — magic
  7. bear — the animal
  8. last — finally
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. last — final
  11. net — in sport
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. spell — a short time
  15. last — to go on
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wound — an injury
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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