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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
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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: ground · rash · pitcher · object · squash · plane · chair · cue

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. object — to protest
  3. rash — a series
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cue — a signal
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ground — the earth
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. object — an aim
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rash — hasty
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. squash — to crush
  20. ground — a position
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cue — a hint
  24. object — a thing

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