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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 120 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
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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: march · perch · cue · club · track · file · bulb · squash

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. march — music
  5. file — a tool
  6. club — for golf
  7. cue — a hint
  8. track — a path
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. march — the month
  14. club — for dancing
  15. file — a document
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — a song
  18. march — the month
  19. track — to keep track
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bulb — for light
  22. club — a group
  23. file — a line of people
  24. squash — the vegetable

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