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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: deal · mine · file · lie · bore · club · chip · key

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bore — to tire
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. club — a group
  7. deal — to handle
  8. club — for golf
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. club — for dancing
  11. file — a tool
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. chip — to eat
  15. file — a line of people
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bore — to drill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mine — for digging
  24. chip — for betting

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