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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 · net · fine · land · calf · toast · field · bowl

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. land — a country
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. net — in sport
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. toast — bread
  11. field — a subject
  12. land — ground
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. land — to come down
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. field — for sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fine — all right
  23. field — farmland
  24. bowl — a dish

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