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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: bay · chip · bark · leaves · content · mate · fine · track

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bark — to shout
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fine — all right
  10. track — a path
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. track — to keep track
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. content — happy
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. track — a song
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fine — high quality
  24. leaves — of a tree

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