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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. club — for golf
  7. track — a song
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. track — a path
  11. club — a group
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. track — to keep track
  14. roll — a cake
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. roll — a list
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pound — a weight
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stand — to bear
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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