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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: pit · net · chip · game · ground · key · club · cell

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. ground — the earth
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cell — in biology
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pit — in a race
  7. club — for dancing
  8. game — a match
  9. net — for catching
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. net — in sport
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. ground — a position
  15. club — a group
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. net — after costs
  24. club — for golf

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