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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: mug · stand · track · net · snap · chip · bore · wake

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. mug — a face
  5. net — in sport
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mug — a cup
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wake — a trail
  14. net — after costs
  15. track — a path
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mug — to rob
  20. net — for catching
  21. snap — to click
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stand — for spectators

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