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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: craft · wound · press · chip · track · bay · pop · club

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. track — a path
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. club — for golf
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wound — an injury
  7. press — to push
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. track — a song
  10. craft — boats
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pop — music
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pop — soda
  15. press — a publisher
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pop — to visit
  18. press — newspapers
  19. club — a group
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wound — an injury
  24. track — to keep track

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