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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: cell · kick · chip · bowl · ground · club · mouse · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cell — in biology
  3. ground — a position
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. ground — the earth
  7. club — a group
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. kick — in football
  17. club — for golf
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. club — for dancing
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. ground — crushed

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