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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 · rush · pound · cue · deal · foot · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cue — a hint
  10. spell — letters
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pound — a weight
  14. deal — to handle
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. spell — magic
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. rush — to hurry

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