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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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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 · key · cue · lie · deal · scale · rash

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. club — a group
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. deal — to handle
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rash — a series
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rash — hasty
  12. tube — a container
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cue — for pool
  16. key — for a lock
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — the most important part
  20. scale — in music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. key — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. tube — in a tire

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