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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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468
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: land · track · dip · chip · sharp · fine · mouse · fan

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. land — a country
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. fine — high quality
  15. sharp — clever
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. land — to come down
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. track — a song
  23. land — ground
  24. dip — to dunk

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