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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 116 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: bass · tube · key · bore · deal · pop · club · wave

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. bass — the instrument
  2. club — a group
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pop — music
  7. club — for golf
  8. bore — to drill
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bass — low music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. tube — a container
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. club — for dancing
  19. tube — the underground
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. pop — soda
  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