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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · squash · spell · kick · content · bat · chip · season

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. content — the amount
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mark — a trace
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. chip — for betting
  7. spell — a short time
  8. kick — in football
  9. season — in sport
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. spell — magic
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mark — a grade
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bat — the animal
  19. content — happy
  20. chip — to eat
  21. season — of the year
  22. spell — letters
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. squash — the sport

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