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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: pop · pit · rush · land · season · kid · object · chip

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rush — hurry
  4. land — ground
  5. land — a country
  6. pop — soda
  7. object — a thing
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. chip — to eat
  16. kid — child
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. object — an aim
  19. season — of the year
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. chip — for betting
  23. object — to protest
  24. chip — in a computer

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