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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · current · bass · swing · rush · mate · club · chest

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rush — hurry
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bass — low music
  5. current — happening now
  6. club — for dancing
  7. current — of water
  8. mate — a friend
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chip — to eat
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. club — for golf
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. current — electric
  18. mate — to breed
  19. swing — music
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bass — the fish
  22. swing — in golf
  23. club — a group
  24. chest — a box

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