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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: fork · rush · hide · kick · nail · chip · club · bass

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bass — low music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. club — for golf
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. chip — for betting
  16. club — for dancing
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. kick — in football
  21. club — a group
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. nail — on a finger

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