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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: court · season · spell · object · face · hand · bank · chip

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. object — an aim
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bank — for money
  5. object — a thing
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. chip — to eat
  8. spell — a short time
  9. court — for sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bank — for money
  13. face — to point toward
  14. court — of a king
  15. bank — of a river
  16. hand — help
  17. court — of law
  18. hand — in cards
  19. spell — letters
  20. object — to protest
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. season — in sport
  23. face — to confront
  24. season — of the year

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