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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: chip · coach · kid · rule · key · mine · rash · ball

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. rule — a law
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. kid — child
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rash — hasty
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. key — in music
  15. rash — a series
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rule — government
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mine — for digging
  24. ball — a dance

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