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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: root · bowl · charge · spring · chip · bat · key · game

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. spring — the season
  3. charge — a price
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. chip — for betting
  6. spring — a coil
  7. key — the most important part
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. root — of a plant
  11. game — a match
  12. bat — the animal
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. spring — of water
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. key — in music
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bat — in an idiom

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