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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: rule · squash · calf · fine · mate · perch · season · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rule — a law
  7. season — of the year
  8. mate — a friend
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. season — in sport
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. rule — government
  14. mate — to breed
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fine — all right
  18. track — a song
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fine — high quality
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mate — a partner

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