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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: squash · clip · cap · toast · perch · club · bowl · vault

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. cap — of ice
  5. clip — for paper
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. perch — the fish
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. club — for golf
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — to cut
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. club — a group
  19. vault — a safe
  20. toast — bread
  21. cap — a hat
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. club — for dancing

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