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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: row · mouse · chip · content · track · bay · bat · wind

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. track — to keep track
  3. content — the amount
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. track — a song
  11. bat — the animal
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chip — for betting
  16. track — a path
  17. content — happy
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. content — videos and posts

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