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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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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 · kid · row · rash · content · club · press · chip

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rash — a series
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. press — a publisher
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. content — the amount
  13. row — a line
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. press — newspapers
  16. content — happy
  17. press — to push
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rash — hasty
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. club — for dancing
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bowl — a dish

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