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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · lash · cue · chip · land · march · scale · track

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. scale — in music
  3. land — to come down
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cue — a signal
  7. chip — for betting
  8. land — a country
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. march — the month
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. march — the month
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. scale — size or range
  16. track — to keep track
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cue — a hint
  20. march — music
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. racket — for tennis

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