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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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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 · pound · date · lie · track · chip · board · clip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. track — a song
  4. date — the fruit
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. lie — to recline
  7. race — the arms race
  8. clip — to cut
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pound — a weight
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. track — to keep track
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — for paper
  15. board — to get on
  16. race — humankind
  17. chip — to eat
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. race — a contest
  22. board — a committee
  23. track — a path
  24. pound — to hit hard

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