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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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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: tube · chip · club · scale · toast · pop · race · deal

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. deal — to handle
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. race — the arms race
  9. toast — bread
  10. pop — soda
  11. scale — size or range
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. race — humankind
  14. tube — the underground
  15. club — a group
  16. tube — a container
  17. pop — to visit
  18. scale — in music
  19. race — a contest
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pop — music
  23. chip — for betting
  24. deal — an agreement

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