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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: court · toast · perch · lean · file · date · wave · cue

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. file — a document
  3. lean — thin
  4. court — for sport
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. court — of law
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. file — a line of people
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. court — of a king
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. file — a tool
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cue — a hint
  24. toast — bread

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