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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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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: last · kid · rock · perch · fan · club · squash · fine

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kid — to tease
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. last — final
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fine — high quality
  12. perch — the fish
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fine — all right
  16. kid — child
  17. club — a group
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. club — for golf
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rock — music

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