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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 · ground · track · chip · pop · mouse · leaves · bark

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pop — music
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. track — to keep track
  5. chip — to eat
  6. track — a path
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bark — to shout
  12. track — a song
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pop — to visit
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pop — soda
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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