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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 120 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: squash · object · fork · wake · ball · chip · spell · sharp

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. ball — a dance
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. spell — letters
  11. squash — to crush
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. spell — magic
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. object — to protest
  19. chip — to eat
  20. ball — a great time
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fork — in a road
  24. squash — the sport

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