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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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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: field · fork · snap · bowl · net · foot · deal · spell

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. spell — a short time
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. field — farmland
  9. fork — in a road
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. spell — magic
  12. field — a subject
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. snap — to click
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. field — for sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. spell — letters
  23. net — in sport
  24. deal — a big deal

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