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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.

Words on the sheet
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: sharp · kick · kid · rash · chip · cabinet · fan · pitcher

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kick — in football
  5. rash — a series
  6. sharp — clever
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kid — to tease
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. kid — child
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. kick — with a leg

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