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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 116 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: fine · mine · wave · deal · rash · track · chip · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fine — high quality
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. track — a song
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rash — hasty
  14. track — a path
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pop — music
  18. deal — to handle
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. fine — all right
  22. rash — a series
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. deal — an agreement

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