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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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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: game · plane · kid · pit · hide · rush · fork · chip

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. kid — child
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. plane — a tool
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pit — a hole
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. kid — to tease
  15. game — wild animals
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rush — hurry
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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