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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: wound · club · arm · temple · prune · wake · chip · scale

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. club — a group
  4. scale — in music
  5. chip — to eat
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. club — for golf
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wake — a trail
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wound — an injury
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wound — an injury
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. scale — size or range
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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