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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: kick · ground · pitcher · plane · board · arm · squash · stock

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. squash — to crush
  4. plane — a tool
  5. board — a committee
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stock — goods
  11. ground — crushed
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ground — the earth
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stock — shares
  21. ground — a position
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. kick — in football
  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