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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: track · mine · chip · cell · perch · cabinet · fine · mark

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. fine — all right
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mark — a trace
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. track — a path
  9. fine — high quality
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. cell — a phone
  19. track — a song
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cell — in biology

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