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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 · key · ground · land · chip · mouse · trunk · ball

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. key — in music
  3. spell — magic
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. chip — to eat
  10. land — ground
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ground — crushed
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. key — for a lock
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. key — the most important part
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. ground — a position

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