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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: kick · chip · bass · mate · spell · foot · roll · pop

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. roll — a cake
  5. spell — a short time
  6. chip — for betting
  7. spell — letters
  8. kick — in football
  9. foot — a measure
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pop — soda
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mate — to breed
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mate — a friend
  18. spell — magic
  19. pop — music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bass — low music

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