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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: track · chip · mine · face · shower · mouse · racket · foot

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mine — for digging
  3. shower — rain
  4. foot — a measure
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. track — a path
  11. face — to confront
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. track — a song
  20. chip — for betting
  21. track — to keep track
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. foot — part of the body

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