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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: game · chip · squash · row · rush · bank · staff · coach

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. squash — to crush
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. squash — the sport
  7. chip — for betting
  8. staff — employees
  9. row — a line
  10. game — wild animals
  11. chip — to eat
  12. row — to paddle
  13. staff — employees
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. game — a match
  20. staff — a stick
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rush — hurry
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rush — a thrill

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