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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: rush · rash · bound · net · chip · bowl · track · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bound — certain
  3. chip — for betting
  4. track — a song
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. net — for catching
  10. rash — hasty
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rush — hurry
  15. track — a path
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. chip — to eat
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rash — a series
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rash — on the skin

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