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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: spell · clip · squash · pit · charge · cap · suit · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. squash — to crush
  3. spell — letters
  4. suit — in cards
  5. game — a match
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. spell — magic
  10. clip — for paper
  11. suit — to fit
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. clip — to cut
  14. cap — of ice
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cap — a hat
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pit — in a race
  19. squash — the sport
  20. charge — in control
  21. suit — clothes
  22. clip — a video
  23. pit — a hole
  24. charge — a price

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