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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: snap · last · chip · content · court · current · bank · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. content — the amount
  4. bank — of a river
  5. chip — for betting
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. court — of law
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. court — for sport
  11. last — final
  12. current — electric
  13. court — of a king
  14. snap — to click
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bank — for money
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. squash — the sport
  19. current — of water
  20. last — to go on
  21. bank — for money
  22. content — happy
  23. last — finally
  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