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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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468
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: kid · row · chip · ruler · dip · mouse · rush · pop

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. kid — child
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pop — to visit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pop — soda
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. row — to paddle
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. row — a line
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pop — music

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