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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: rest · chip · chair · scale · race · bore · cell · ball

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cell — in biology
  6. race — the arms race
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. scale — in music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. race — humankind
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cell — a phone
  23. rest — a break
  24. chair — a leader

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