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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: plane · row · date · squash · mine · stand · ground · rock

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rock — music
  10. ground — a position
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mine — for digging
  15. row — a line
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. row — to paddle
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rock — a stone
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. squash — the sport

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