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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.

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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 · hide · chip · pitch · ruler · temple · bound · board

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bound — certain
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bound — tied together
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitch — completely
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bound — obliged
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitch — a sports field

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