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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: mine · bark · row · track · deal · mouse · chip · toast

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. deal — to handle
  3. track — a song
  4. toast — bread
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. track — a path
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mine — for digging
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. chip — for betting
  20. track — to keep track
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mouse — the animal

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