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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: present · rush · key · bowl · date · chair · chip · object

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. key — for a lock
  6. object — to protest
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. present — there
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a leader
  12. object — an aim
  13. rush — hurry
  14. object — a thing
  15. chip — to eat
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. key — the most important part
  18. present — the time now
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. present — a gift
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. key — in music

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