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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 · bay · deal · club · band · object · sharp · cold

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. object — a thing
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. club — a group
  9. band — a music group
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. object — an aim
  14. club — for golf
  15. key — in music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cold — not warm
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. club — for dancing
  23. cold — an illness
  24. object — to protest

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