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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: spell · craft · squash · charge · court · bat · kick · current

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. spell — a short time
  3. current — happening now
  4. court — for sport
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. craft — boats
  7. current — of water
  8. squash — the sport
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. craft — a skill
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. current — electric
  14. court — of law
  15. bat — the animal
  16. court — of a king
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. charge — a price
  20. spell — magic
  21. kick — in football
  22. squash — to crush
  23. spell — letters
  24. craft — a handicraft

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