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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: race · club · rock · lie · scale · bear · chip · mine

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. race — humankind
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chip — for betting
  7. scale — in music
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. race — a contest
  10. club — a group
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. club — for golf
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rock — a stone
  19. mine — for digging
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. chip — to eat
  24. scale — size or range

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