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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: squash · perch · cue · press · date · toast · shower · chip

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. cue — a signal
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cue — a hint
  7. chip — to eat
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. squash — to crush
  11. shower — rain
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. chip — for betting
  15. toast — bread
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cue — for pool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. squash — the sport
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. press — newspapers

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