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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: chip · firm · racket · march · scale · squash · lie · arm

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. march — the month
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. scale — in music
  5. squash — the sport
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. scale — size or range
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. firm — a company
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. march — music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. chip — to eat
  18. firm — steady
  19. squash — to crush
  20. firm — decided
  21. lie — to recline
  22. march — the month
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. arm — part of the body

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