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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: kid · track · chip · scale · content · saw · coach · cue

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cue — a hint
  8. content — happy
  9. scale — size or range
  10. saw — the tool
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. chip — to eat
  14. kid — to tease
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cue — a signal
  17. content — the amount
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. saw — the tool
  21. scale — in music
  22. cue — for pool
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. chip — in a computer

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