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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: chair · safe · key · deal · pit · spell · wind · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. spell — magic
  8. rule — a law
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wind — moving air
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. spell — a short time
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spell — letters
  24. pit — a hole

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