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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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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: bass · pop · cue · scale · current · lie · club · chair

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pop — soda
  8. scale — size or range
  9. cue — a hint
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bass — low music
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. scale — in music
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bass — the fish
  21. chair — a leader
  22. club — for golf
  23. current — happening now
  24. pop — 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