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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: stem · file · hide · chip · racket · dip · kid · bowl

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. stem — to come from
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. file — a document
  12. dip — to sink
  13. kid — child
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. kid — to tease

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