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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: bat · key · wound · suit · cell · deal · mouse · chip

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bat — the animal
  3. key — in music
  4. chip — for betting
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cell — a phone
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cell — in biology
  22. key — for a lock
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. key — the most important part

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