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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: bound · row · last · key · deal · pit · game · chip

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. chip — to eat
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. last — finally
  6. deal — to handle
  7. key — in music
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bound — certain
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. key — for a lock
  12. chip — for betting
  13. game — a match
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. last — final
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pit — a hole
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pit — in a race
  22. last — to go on
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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