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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: wake · snap · cue · scale · chip · ground · race · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. scale — in music
  3. wake — a trail
  4. craft — boats
  5. snap — to click
  6. race — a contest
  7. craft — a skill
  8. ground — a position
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. race — humankind
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cue — for pool
  15. ground — the earth
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cue — a signal
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cue — a hint
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. chip — for betting
  23. ground — crushed
  24. scale — size or range

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