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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: cell · row · mate · deal · mug · chip · key · stick

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mug — a face
  7. row — a line
  8. mug — to rob
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. key — in music
  11. row — to paddle
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. key — the most important part
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. deal — a big deal

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