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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: hand · track · chip · arm · racket · pop · scale · rash

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pop — music
  3. scale — in music
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pop — soda
  6. rash — a series
  7. chip — for betting
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. track — a song
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pop — to visit
  15. hand — help
  16. chip — to eat
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. track — a path
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rash — hasty
  24. track — to keep track

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