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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chair · current · pit · cabinet · can · club · band · lean

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. lean — thin
  5. band — a music group
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. club — a group
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. pit — a hole
  13. current — electric
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. chair — a leader
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. chair — to sit on

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