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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: pit · rule · current · cabinet · chip · cold · club · key

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cold — not warm
  4. pit — a hole
  5. key — the most important part
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. rule — government
  9. key — in music
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rule — a law
  12. pit — in a race
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. current — electric
  16. club — for golf
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rule — to rule out

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