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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: stem · track · can · bowl · straw · mug · rush · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. can — to be able to
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stem — to come from
  7. chip — for betting
  8. can — a tin
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mug — a face
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mug — a cup
  16. track — a song
  17. mug — to rob
  18. track — to keep track
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. can — a tin
  23. track — a path
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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