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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: perch · squash · mug · content · spell · rush · rock · club

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. content — happy
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rock — music
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mug — a face
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. club — for golf
  18. spell — magic
  19. club — a group
  20. squash — the sport
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. content — the amount
  24. mug — to rob

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