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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: bay · club · squash · cold · calf · press · chair · current

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. press — newspapers
  4. squash — the sport
  5. current — electric
  6. press — a publisher
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. press — to push
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. club — a group
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. current — happening now
  20. chair — a leader
  21. current — of water
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. squash — to crush

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