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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.

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: chair · cue · stock · chip · temple · squash · plane · rash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. chair — a leader
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cue — for pool
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rash — a series
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stock — shares
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stock — goods
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rash — hasty
  24. plane — an aircraft

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