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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: chip · sharp · squash · wax · club · rest · pass · current

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — for golf
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rest — a break
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. club — a group
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chip — for betting
  18. squash — the sport
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. current — of water

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