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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 120 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: present · scale · chair · cue · track · board · tear · chip

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. track — a path
  3. present — there
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. track — a song
  6. cue — a hint
  7. tear — to rip
  8. board — a committee
  9. chip — for betting
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. present — the time now
  12. cue — for pool
  13. board — to get on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cue — a signal
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. tear — from crying
  18. present — a gift
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. track — to keep track
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. tear — from crying
  23. scale — in music
  24. chip — to eat

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