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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: perch · saw · stick · file · squash · court · season · staff

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. file — a tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. court — of law
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. file — a line of people
  8. perch — the fish
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. staff — employees
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. staff — employees
  17. court — for sport
  18. file — a document
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. saw — the tool
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. court — of a king
  23. staff — a stick
  24. perch — for a bird

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