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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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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: can · stand · perch · squash · rash · club · chip · key

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. can — a tin
  2. squash — the sport
  3. key — the most important part
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. key — in music
  6. perch — the fish
  7. club — a group
  8. stand — to bear
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rash — hasty
  15. key — for a lock
  16. can — a tin
  17. club — for golf
  18. rash — a series
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. can — to be able to
  21. club — for dancing
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  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