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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · mouse · rule · season · kid · fine · track · chip

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. track — to keep track
  3. season — in sport
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fine — all right
  6. track — a path
  7. fine — high quality
  8. can — a tin
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. rule — government
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rule — a law
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. can — a tin
  18. chip — for betting
  19. kid — to tease
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. track — a song
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rule — to rule out

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