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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: cell · mark · current · chip · deal · key · bound · straw

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. current — happening now
  6. bound — obliged
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bound — tied together
  10. current — electric
  11. mark — a grade
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. key — in music
  16. cell — in biology
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mark — a trace
  20. deal — to handle
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. current — of water
  24. bound — certain

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