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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: charge · racket · rash · squash · bat · perch · toast · foot

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rash — hasty
  3. squash — to crush
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. charge — electricity
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. rash — a series
  16. charge — a price
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. toast — bread
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. foot — a measure
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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