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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · chip · bowl · pop · bass · rash · wake · file

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. bass — low music
  15. chip — for betting
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a document
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. file — a tool
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rest — what's left

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