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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · squash · mug · content · roll · ruler · chair · board

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. board — to get on
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. content — happy
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. squash — the sport
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. content — the amount
  10. plane — a tool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. roll — a cake
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mug — to rob
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. chair — a leader
  22. roll — a list
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. board — a committee

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