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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.

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: race · chip · field · scale · mouse · safe · game · rash

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. race — the arms race
  3. scale — size or range
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. race — humankind
  6. rash — a series
  7. chip — to eat
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. chip — for betting
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. game — a match
  17. scale — in music
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rash — hasty
  21. field — farmland
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. race — a contest
  24. game — wild animals

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