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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: last · perch · file · fan · club · hand · squash · jam

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. last — to go on
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. club — for golf
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. last — finally
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. squash — the sport
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. file — a line of people
  18. last — final
  19. file — a document
  20. club — for dancing
  21. file — a tool
  22. club — a group
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. squash — to crush

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