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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: current · squash · chip · content · swing · calf · spring · vault

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. current — happening now
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. current — electric
  8. spring — a coil
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. chip — to eat
  12. vault — a safe
  13. squash — to crush
  14. content — happy
  15. swing — music
  16. content — the amount
  17. swing — to play on
  18. current — of water
  19. swing — in golf
  20. squash — the sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spring — of water
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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