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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: ground · chip · mark · pass · clip · mouse · club · mine

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chip — for betting
  5. club — a group
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. clip — to cut
  8. mark — a grade
  9. chip — to eat
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. ground — crushed
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. clip — a video
  19. ground — the earth
  20. club — for golf
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. club — for dancing
  24. ground — a position

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