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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: mug · file · mouse · bark · mate · stick · chip · craft

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chip — for betting
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mate — a friend
  8. craft — boats
  9. mug — to rob
  10. file — a tool
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mug — a face
  14. file — a document
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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