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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 116 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
468
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 · squash · tear · board · kick · pitcher · current · spell

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. spell — magic
  3. board — a committee
  4. current — electric
  5. squash — to crush
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. chip — for betting
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. board — to get on
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. tear — to rip
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chip — to eat
  24. tear — from crying

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