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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: track · clip · deal · foot · ground · chip · bore · bat

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. chip — for betting
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ground — the earth
  7. clip — a video
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bore — to tire
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. ground — a position
  18. chip — to eat
  19. track — a song
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bore — to drill
  22. ground — crushed
  23. track — a path
  24. clip — for paper

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