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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 116 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: pass · deal · key · mug · field · hand · chip · spell

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pass — a permit
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mug — a cup
  6. chip — for betting
  7. key — the most important part
  8. spell — magic
  9. mug — to rob
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mug — a face
  13. spell — letters
  14. field — farmland
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. deal — to handle
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. field — a subject
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. key — in music
  23. field — for sport
  24. spell — a short time

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