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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: wake · club · mate · spell · perch · cue · present · firm

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mate — a friend
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. club — for dancing
  8. firm — a company
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mate — a partner
  13. spell — letters
  14. firm — decided
  15. cue — for pool
  16. perch — the fish
  17. present — there
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mate — to breed
  22. club — a group
  23. firm — steady
  24. spell — magic

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