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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. row — a line
  3. track — a song
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. row — to paddle
  6. ball — a dance
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. track — a path
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. track — to keep track
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. content — happy
  19. spell — a short time
  20. content — the amount
  21. spell — magic
  22. chip — for betting
  23. spell — letters
  24. ball — a great time

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