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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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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 · kick · chair · bay · current · wave

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. club — for golf
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. current — of water
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. kick — in football
  8. current — happening now
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. club — a group
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader

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