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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: spell · fork · deal · snap · shower · chip · bass · mouse

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. spell — magic
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. spell — letters
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. snap — to click
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bass — low music
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fork — in a road
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chip — for betting

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