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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: ground · ball · mug · spell · charge · arm · suit · mine

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. ground — a position
  3. charge — a price
  4. suit — to fit
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mug — a cup
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. charge — in control
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mug — to rob
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mug — a face
  19. ground — the earth
  20. spell — letters
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. charge — electricity
  23. suit — clothes
  24. ground — crushed

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