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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: cell · ground · spell · swing · bulb · mark · chip · racket

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cell — a phone
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. swing — music
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. swing — in golf
  9. ground — a position
  10. cell — in biology
  11. mark — a grade
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ground — crushed
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. ground — the earth
  18. spell — a short time
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. swing — to play on
  22. chip — to eat
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — for light

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