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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: hand · bowl · net · board · chip · rush · suit · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. net — in sport
  3. suit — clothes
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rush — hurry
  8. hand — help
  9. rash — a series
  10. board — to get on
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. chip — for betting
  13. net — after costs
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. board — a committee
  18. chip — to eat
  19. hand — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. net — for catching
  24. chip — in a computer

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