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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: chip · temple · wax · ball · race · pound · scale · game

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. scale — size or range
  3. chip — for betting
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. race — a contest
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. scale — in music
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. chip — to eat
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. ball — a great time
  18. game — a match
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wax — to grow
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. ball — a dance
  23. game — wild animals
  24. race — humankind

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