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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.

Make a worksheet

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: current · squash · perch · wave · field · cue · content · chair

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. field — for sport
  4. current — happening now
  5. content — the amount
  6. cue — for pool
  7. field — a subject
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cue — a signal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. field — farmland
  13. cue — a hint
  14. content — happy
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. squash — to crush
  17. current — electric
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. perch — the fish
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  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