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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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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: squash · pound · chip · club · bulb · spell · racket · perch

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pound — a weight
  6. chip — for betting
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. spell — letters
  11. perch — the fish
  12. squash — to crush
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spell — magic
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. chip — to eat
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pound — to hit hard

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