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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: pit · cell · key · chip · rule · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chip — for betting
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cell — in biology
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. key — in music
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rule — a law
  15. pit — a hole
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rule — government

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