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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: last · date · mouse · squash · craft · perch · rule · chip

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. last — to go on
  3. squash — the sport
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. craft — boats
  6. last — final
  7. date — the fruit
  8. last — finally
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rule — government
  11. perch — the fish
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rule — a law
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. squash — to crush
  21. chip — to eat
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. craft — a skill

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