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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: patient · squash · perch · toast · mark · bat · chip · plane

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. plane — a tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — the fish
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. chip — for betting
  9. squash — the sport
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bat — the animal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mark — a grade
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. squash — to crush
  23. toast — bread
  24. chip — to eat

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