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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: racket · court · fall · pop · stock · board · mug · squash

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. squash — the sport
  3. board — to get on
  4. stock — goods
  5. fall — to drop
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. mug — to rob
  12. squash — to crush
  13. board — a committee
  14. pop — soda
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fall — the season
  19. court — of law
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. pop — music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. racket — for tennis

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