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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: squash · rash · nail · stock · prune · staff · board · net

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. board — to get on
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. staff — employees
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. prune — to trim
  7. staff — a stick
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rash — a series
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. net — in sport
  13. rash — hasty
  14. staff — employees
  15. net — after costs
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stock — goods
  20. net — for catching
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. board — a committee
  24. squash — the sport

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