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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: tube · game · ground · squash · firm · cell · kick · current

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. ground — crushed
  3. current — happening now
  4. ground — the earth
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. squash — to crush
  7. ground — a position
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cell — in biology
  10. tube — a container
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. current — of water
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. kick — in football
  18. firm — steady
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. tube — the underground
  21. current — electric
  22. cell — a phone
  23. game — a match
  24. squash — the sport

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