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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: rock · mark · mine · kick · scale · jam · chip · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mark — a grade
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. rock — a stone
  9. hand — help
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. scale — in music
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. kick — in football
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mine — for digging
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. chip — for betting
  21. rock — music
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. chip — to eat

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