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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: hand · kid · chip · pop · bowl · rash · toast · rush

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rush — hurry
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. kid — child
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pop — music
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rash — a series
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rush — to hurry

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