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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: current · wave · club · squash · cue · mate · mug · chest

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. current — electric
  3. mug — a face
  4. club — for golf
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cue — for pool
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. club — for dancing
  9. current — happening now
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. chest — of your body
  13. current — of water
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. chest — a box
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mug — to rob
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mug — a cup
  21. club — a group
  22. cue — a hint
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wave — of the sea

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