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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: stem · bound · fan · bowl · bat · object · rush · chip

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bound — certain
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. object — to protest
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. object — a thing
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bound — tied together
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. object — an aim
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rush — 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