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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · game · dip · club · present · key · pass · cold

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — an illness
  4. club — for golf
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. game — a match
  7. squash — to crush
  8. dip — to sink
  9. present — there
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. key — in music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. key — the most important part
  16. club — a group
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pass — a permit
  20. squash — the sport
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. present — a gift
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. present — the time now

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