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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: spring · roll · spell · foot · charge · squash · mine · chip

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. spring — the season
  3. squash — to crush
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mine — for digging
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spring — of water
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. charge — a price
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. roll — a cake
  14. squash — the sport
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. charge — in control
  17. spell — letters
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. chip — to eat
  21. spring — a coil
  22. foot — a measure
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mine — an explosive

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