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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: bound · object · stock · row · plane · squash · wave · net

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. squash — the vegetable
  2. bound — certain
  3. row — a line
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. squash — to crush
  6. net — after costs
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. bound — obliged
  14. net — for catching
  15. object — an aim
  16. bound — tied together
  17. row — to paddle
  18. object — to protest
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. object — a thing
  21. plane — a tool
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. net — in sport
  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