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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.

Make a worksheet

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: squash · last · mouse · perch · wind · staff · present · pitcher

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wind — moving air
  6. present — the time now
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. last — to go on
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. present — there
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. last — finally
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. squash — the sport
  22. present — a gift
  23. last — final
  24. wind — moving air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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