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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 116 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: wave · pass · club · mate · squash · perch · cue · game

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mate — a partner
  4. club — a group
  5. mate — a friend
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. squash — the sport
  19. game — a match
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. club — for golf
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cue — for pool
  24. squash — to crush

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