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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: board · current · club · can · lie · object · squash · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. can — a tin
  3. current — of water
  4. board — a committee
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. current — electric
  7. board — to get on
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. chair — a leader
  11. object — an aim
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. club — for golf
  15. current — happening now
  16. squash — to crush
  17. club — a group
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. squash — the sport
  20. lie — to recline
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. club — for dancing
  24. can — a tin

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