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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 120 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: chip · game · track · saw · bark · wound · nail · racket

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. chip — to eat
  6. track — a path
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. track — a song
  9. saw — the tool
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bark — to shout
  12. game — a match
  13. chip — for betting
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wound — an injury

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