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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: jam · bore · kid · file · staff · chip · perch · rush

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. chip — for betting
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bore — to drill
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. perch — the fish
  13. file — a tool
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bore — to tire
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. kid — to tease
  18. staff — employees
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. staff — employees
  24. file — a document

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