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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 120 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: plane · court · pop · squash · chest · key · ruler · rash

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. plane — a tool
  3. squash — to crush
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. key — in music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. court — for sport
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rash — a series
  14. squash — the sport
  15. chest — a box
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pop — to visit
  18. court — of a king
  19. key — for a lock
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rash — hasty
  22. chest — of your body
  23. key — the most important part
  24. squash — the vegetable

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