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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: club · toast · squash · charge · clip · mouse · perch · craft

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. craft — boats
  4. perch — the fish
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. toast — bread
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. club — for dancing
  13. clip — a video
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. club — a group
  16. clip — to cut
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. club — for golf
  20. clip — for paper
  21. charge — in control
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. charge — a price
  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