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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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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: perch · row · rule · staff · toast · club

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. staff — employees
  3. row — a line
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rule — government
  6. club — a group
  7. staff — a stick
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. club — for golf
  13. staff — employees
  14. toast — bread
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. toast — a drink to someone

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