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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 120 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: cell · bound · prune · lie · key · swing · club · cue

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. key — in music
  4. bound — tied together
  5. swing — music
  6. cell — in biology
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. prune — to trim
  9. club — for dancing
  10. swing — in golf
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cell — a phone
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cue — a signal
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bound — certain
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cue — a hint
  24. swing — to play on

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