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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: deal · kid · spell · rock · net · fork · hide · mouse

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. net — after costs
  7. kid — child
  8. net — for catching
  9. kid — to tease
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. spell — letters
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rock — a stone
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rock — music
  21. spell — magic
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. hide — to keep secret

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