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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: game · file · snap · spell · rush · chip · prune · club

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. spell — magic
  3. file — a document
  4. club — a group
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. club — for golf
  7. game — wild animals
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. file — a tool
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. snap — to click
  13. prune — to trim
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rush — hurry
  16. game — a match
  17. file — a line of people
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. chip — for betting
  20. club — for dancing
  21. prune — to trim
  22. spell — letters
  23. chip — to eat
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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