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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
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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: squash · wake · club · bulb · perch · march · face · key

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. club — for golf
  4. wake — a trail
  5. face — to point toward
  6. squash — to crush
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. squash — the sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. march — music
  13. key — in music
  14. march — the month
  15. key — the most important part
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bulb — for light
  20. perch — the fish
  21. march — the month
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. face — to confront
  24. club — a group

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