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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · roll · toast · chair · squash · pop · rush · chip

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. squash — the sport
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pop — to visit
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. pop — music
  12. rule — a law
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. squash — to crush
  16. roll — a cake
  17. rule — government
  18. rush — hurry
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. roll — a list
  21. pop — soda
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. chip — for betting
  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