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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: chest · rock · mug · bore · rash · chip · kid · fork

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. kid — to tease
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bore — to drill
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rash — a series
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rock — a stone
  15. chest — a box
  16. mug — a face
  17. rock — music
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rash — hasty
  24. kid — child

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