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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: fine · plane · date · squash · arm · chair · perch · bulb

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. date — the fruit
  5. perch — the fish
  6. chair — a leader
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fine — high quality
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bulb — for light
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fine — all right
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. date — on the calendar

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