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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: rush · stock · board · squash · chair · court · mine · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. squash — to crush
  3. court — of law
  4. mine — for digging
  5. stock — shares
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chair — a leader
  10. court — for sport
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. board — to get on
  14. stock — goods
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rush — hurry
  17. squash — the sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. board — a committee
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. stock — a soup base

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