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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: rule · craft · deal · chip · cell · drill

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. craft — boats
  4. cell — in biology
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. drill — the tool
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. drill — army training
  12. deal — to handle
  13. drill — a practice
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rule — government
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rule — a law

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