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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 120 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: file · deal · chip · drill · cue · cell

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cell — a phone
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cue — for pool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. file — a line of people
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. file — a tool
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cue — a signal
  14. drill — army training
  15. cell — in biology
  16. file — a document
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cell — in a prison

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