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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. club — a group
  4. pop — music
  5. club — for dancing
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. club — for golf
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pop — soda
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pop — to visit
  18. band — a music group
  19. key — the most important part
  20. band — a ring
  21. key — in music
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wake — a trail

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