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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: squash · degree · date · saw · spell · cue · chip · charge

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. date — the fruit
  2. cue — for pool
  3. spell — magic
  4. charge — electricity
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — an amount
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chip — to eat
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cue — a signal
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. charge — in control
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. degree — from a university
  19. spell — letters
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. saw — the tool
  23. charge — a price
  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