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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 · roll · last · spell · squash · stand · rush · fork

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. spell — letters
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. chip — for betting
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fork — in a road
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. roll — a list
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. roll — a cake
  11. spell — magic
  12. last — finally
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. last — final
  18. squash — to crush
  19. last — to go on
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stand — for spectators

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