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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: sharp · track · chip · bear · scale · race · rash · coach

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. scale — size or range
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rash — a series
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. race — a contest
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. scale — in music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rash — hasty
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bear — the animal
  24. track — a song

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