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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 116 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: row · tube · kid · bowl · rock · rule · spell · chip

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. spell — magic
  5. kid — to tease
  6. chip — to eat
  7. spell — letters
  8. rule — a law
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. chip — for betting
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. kid — child
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rule — government
  21. rock — a stone
  22. row — a line
  23. rock — music
  24. rule — to rule out

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