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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 120 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: chip · firm · spell · staff · pound · racket · rash · spring

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. firm — steady
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rash — hasty
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rash — a series
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. staff — employees
  11. pound — a weight
  12. firm — decided
  13. staff — employees
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. firm — a company
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. spring — the season
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. spring — of water
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. spell — a short time
  24. racket — for tennis

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