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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.

Make a worksheet

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: squash · rash · board · court · mine · wave · plane · racket

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. board — a committee
  4. rash — hasty
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mine — for digging
  8. plane — a tool
  9. court — for sport
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. court — of law
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. court — of a king
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. board — a flat piece

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