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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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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: chip · sharp · tube · current · squash · coach · bark · bay

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. current — of water
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bark — to shout
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. current — electric
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. squash — the sport
  18. sharp — clever
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. current — happening now

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