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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.

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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: key · last · shower · mate · chip · net · object · rush

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. object — an aim
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. key — in music
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. net — for catching
  9. object — a thing
  10. mate — a partner
  11. key — for a lock
  12. shower — rain
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mate — to breed
  15. shower — to wash
  16. last — final
  17. mate — a friend
  18. net — after costs
  19. last — finally
  20. net — in sport
  21. object — to protest
  22. last — to go on
  23. rush — hurry
  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