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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · lash · charge · squash · date · track · perch · content

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pop — soda
  5. content — happy
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pop — to visit
  10. date — the fruit
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pop — music
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. track — a path
  17. perch — the fish
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. squash — to crush
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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