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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: kick · bat · chip · mark · straw · bound · scale · wave

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mark — a trace
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bound — certain
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bat — the animal
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. kick — in football
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. chip — in a computer

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