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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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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: board · lean · temple · tube · pitch · club · squash · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. club — for golf
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. tube — a container
  6. current — happening now
  7. squash — the sport
  8. current — electric
  9. tube — the underground
  10. board — a committee
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. club — a group
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. club — for dancing
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pitch — completely

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