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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.

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: suit · rash · spring · mug · roll · pitch · chip · row

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. row — a line
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mug — a cup
  9. chip — for betting
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pitch — completely
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. spring — the season
  17. suit — to fit
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. chip — to eat
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rash — a series
  23. mug — a face
  24. row — a quarrel

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