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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: leaves · chip · object · pit · club · spell · can · ground

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. spell — letters
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. spell — magic
  8. pit — a hole
  9. club — a group
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ground — crushed
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. pit — in a race
  17. object — an aim
  18. ground — the earth
  19. chip — to eat
  20. spell — a short time
  21. club — for dancing
  22. ground — a position
  23. club — for golf
  24. chip — in a computer

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