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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: toast · pitcher · perch · rash · date · squash · ruler · fan

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. perch — the fish
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. squash — to crush
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. squash — the sport
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. date — the fruit
  19. toast — bread
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. toast — the most admired

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