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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · rash · spring · pop · chip · swing · spell · pound

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. rash — hasty
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pop — music
  7. spring — the season
  8. pound — a weight
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. swing — music
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spell — letters
  16. spring — of water
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spell — magic
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

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