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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: bowl · chip · wake · pop · mug · suit · mouse · rash

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pop — music
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pop — soda
  6. mug — a face
  7. rash — a series
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. suit — to fit
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wake — a trail
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mug — to rob

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