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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: nail · spell · fine · chair · key · mark · deal · cell

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cell — a phone
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. spell — a short time
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. chair — a leader
  13. fine — all right
  14. mark — a grade
  15. key — in music
  16. spell — magic
  17. deal — to handle
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. spell — letters
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cell — in biology

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