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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: key · spell · last · pass · rule · chip · pound · pit

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. key — in music
  4. chip — for betting
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rule — a law
  8. last — finally
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. key — for a lock
  20. last — to go on
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. spell — letters

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