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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: chip · spell · firm · court · bat · present · squash · jam

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. spell — a short time
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. firm — a company
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. squash — to crush
  10. court — for sport
  11. present — a gift
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. court — of a king
  14. spell — letters
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. court — of law
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. chip — to eat
  22. spell — magic
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. squash — the sport

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