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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: content · band · chip · scale · pitcher · race · coach · kick

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. content — the amount
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. race — humankind
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. kick — in football
  18. band — a music group
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. scale — in music
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. content — happy
  24. band — a ring

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