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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 · arm · hand · track · cold · date · rock · deal

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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 — to eat
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. date — the fruit
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. deal — to handle
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rock — music
  13. cold — an illness
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. chip — for betting
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cold — not warm
  19. hand — help
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. track — a song
  23. arm — part of the body
  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