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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
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: cold · squash · perch · tube · charge · dip · pop · toast

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. charge — in control
  4. perch — the fish
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pop — to visit
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pop — music
  9. charge — a price
  10. cold — an illness
  11. tube — a container
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pop — soda
  14. dip — to sink
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. squash — the sport
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. charge — electricity
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. tube — in a tire

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