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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.

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: net · spell · field · face · bound · kick · mouse · pitcher

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — for sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bound — certain
  6. net — for catching
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. net — after costs
  10. face — to confront
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. spell — magic
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bound — tied together
  15. net — in sport
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bound — obliged
  18. spell — letters
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. field — a subject

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