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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: nail · rush · row · can · bowl · chip · dip · field

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. row — to paddle
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rush — hurry
  7. can — a tin
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. chip — for betting
  12. can — to be able to
  13. field — farmland
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. field — a subject
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. row — a line
  23. field — for sport
  24. chip — to eat

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