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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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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 · mate · jam · toast · march · chip · squash · lash

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. chip — for betting
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. march — the month
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. squash — the sport
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mate — to breed
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. perch — the fish
  13. march — music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. mate — a friend
  18. chip — to eat
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mate — a partner
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. march — the month
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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