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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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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: clip · foot · bowl · deal · squash · capital · bay · key

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. clip — a video
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. key — for a lock
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. squash — to crush
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. key — in music
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. capital — a city
  18. key — the most important part
  19. squash — the sport
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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