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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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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: club · tube · squash · mug · cap · suit · deal · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mug — a face
  5. club — a group
  6. tube — the underground
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cap — a lid
  9. last — to go on
  10. deal — to handle
  11. club — for dancing
  12. last — finally
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mug — a cup
  16. squash — the sport
  17. suit — to fit
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mug — to rob
  20. tube — a container
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cap — a hat
  24. club — for golf

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