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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: spell · cell · mouse · snap · charge · ground · nail · pit

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cell — a phone
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ground — a position
  15. spell — magic
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pit — a hole
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. charge — electricity
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cell — in biology
  24. snap — to click

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