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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: wake · mate · club · trunk · perch · pit · squash · key

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. club — a group
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. key — in music
  13. mate — to breed
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. squash — the sport
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mate — a friend
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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