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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: staff · squash · spell · cue · bat · net · suit · chip

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. spell — letters
  5. cue — for pool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cue — a hint
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. net — for catching
  11. chip — for betting
  12. squash — to crush
  13. spell — a short time
  14. chip — to eat
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. net — in sport
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bat — the animal
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cue — a signal
  21. squash — the sport
  22. suit — in cards
  23. spell — magic
  24. net — after costs

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