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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.

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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: shower · foot · chair · squash · chest · cue · current · pass

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. shower — rain
  3. squash — the sport
  4. current — happening now
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. squash — to crush
  7. current — electric
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. current — of water
  12. chest — of your body
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cue — a hint
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. foot — a measure
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cue — for pool
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chest — a box
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cue — a signal

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