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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: rash · band · ruler · net · kid · mine · chip · bay

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. chip — for betting
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. net — after costs
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. net — in sport
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rash — hasty
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. band — a music group
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. band — a ring
  20. kid — child
  21. net — for catching
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kid — to tease

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