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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 120 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
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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: squash · kid · charge · saw · board · pitcher · foot · bear

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — to tease
  6. saw — the tool
  7. charge — in control
  8. squash — the sport
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. board — to get on
  12. bear — the animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. charge — electricity
  16. foot — a measure
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — a committee
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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