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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · net · fork · saw · wound · bark · spell · pass

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. key — in music
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. net — in sport
  5. spell — magic
  6. net — after costs
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fork — in a road
  15. spell — a short time
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. key — the most important part
  19. spell — letters
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bark — to shout
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. wound — an injury

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