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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: bay · lie · deal · key · squash · tube · pop · club

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. club — for golf
  3. squash — to crush
  4. key — the most important part
  5. club — a group
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. club — for dancing
  9. key — in music
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pop — music
  16. tube — a container
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pop — soda
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. squash — the sport

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