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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: bank · squash · cue · sharp · pass · current · drill · suit

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. squash — the sport
  3. current — of water
  4. suit — to fit
  5. squash — to crush
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pass — a permit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — in cards
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bank — for money
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. drill — the tool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. cue — for pool
  19. current — happening now
  20. bank — for money
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. current — electric
  23. bank — of a river
  24. drill — army training

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