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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: chip · cue · charge · land · rule · ground · key · track

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. track — a path
  3. rule — government
  4. key — in music
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. ground — a position
  8. cue — for pool
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cue — a hint
  11. land — to come down
  12. key — the most important part
  13. track — to keep track
  14. chip — for betting
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. track — a song
  20. land — ground
  21. charge — a price
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cue — a signal
  24. land — a country

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