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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: chip · ball · track · kid · snap · rash · field · deal

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. field — farmland
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. deal — to handle
  5. ball — a dance
  6. kid — child
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. chip — for betting
  9. track — a path
  10. field — for sport
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. field — a subject
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. ball — a great time
  16. track — a song
  17. rash — a series
  18. chip — to eat
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. kid — to tease
  23. snap — to click
  24. rash — hasty

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