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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: chip · rule · patient · rash · cap · race · pound · rush

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rash — hasty
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chip — to eat
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. race — humankind
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rash — a series
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rule — a law
  20. race — a contest
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rule — government
  24. cap — a lid

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