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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rush — hurry
  6. track — to keep track
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bound — tied together
  9. chest — a box
  10. bound — obliged
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bound — certain
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chip — for betting
  16. track — a song
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. 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