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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: mate · track · chip · suit · hand · bark · race · mouse

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. race — a contest
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mate — a friend
  9. chip — for betting
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. track — a song
  13. bark — to shout
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mate — a partner
  16. chip — to eat
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. track — a path
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. track — to keep track
  24. race — humankind

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