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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: chip · spring · cue · roll · bay · spell · present · ground

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. present — a gift
  4. spring — the season
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cue — for pool
  8. spell — magic
  9. roll — a cake
  10. spring — of water
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ground — a position
  13. spring — a coil
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. present — there
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cue — a signal
  21. chip — for betting
  22. present — the time now
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. spell — letters

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