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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 · hide · kid · pop · object · rule

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. object — a thing
  3. pop — to visit
  4. object — an aim
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pop — soda
  7. rule — a law
  8. chip — for betting
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rule — government
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chip — to eat
  16. kid — child
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. object — to protest

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