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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: mug · pop · land · track · chip · present · mouse · club

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. land — ground
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. club — a group
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. present — there
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. present — the time now
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mug — a cup
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pop — music
  17. club — for golf
  18. mug — to rob
  19. pop — soda
  20. chip — for betting
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. mug — a face
  24. present — a gift

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