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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · current · cue · pit · bass · tube · chest · chair

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. tube — the underground
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. cue — a hint
  8. chest — of your body
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. tube — a container
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pit — in a race
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. cue — for pool
  19. chest — a box
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. current — of water
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bass — low music

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