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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 · sharp · dip · chip · racket · bank · rash · game

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. sharp — clever
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chip — to eat
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bank — for money
  11. spell — letters
  12. rash — a series
  13. bank — of a river
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. spell — magic
  16. chip — for betting
  17. dip — to sink
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. game — wild animals
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. game — a match
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bank — for money
  24. rash — on the skin

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