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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 116 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 · snap · game · rule · cue · bass · squash · fan

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. snap — to click
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. game — a match
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cue — for pool
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bass — the fish
  20. squash — to crush
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. current — electric
  24. bass — low music

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