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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: scale · row · safe · race · chip · land · track · bore

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. track — to keep track
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. race — humankind
  9. track — a path
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. row — a line
  14. bore — to tire
  15. land — to come down
  16. bore — to drill
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. row — to paddle
  22. race — a contest
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. race — the arms race

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