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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: fan · squash · deal · pitcher · perch · pop · can · wave

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pop — soda
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. can — a tin
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. squash — to crush
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pop — to visit
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pop — music
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. perch — the fish

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