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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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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 · bound · fall · chip · rush · club · bark · dip

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. club — for golf
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chip — for betting
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. dip — to sink
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chip — to eat
  19. track — a path
  20. club — a group
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. track — a song
  23. fall — the season
  24. rush — a thrill

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