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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bank — for money
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. chair — a leader
  6. ball — a dance
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. scale — in music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bank — of a river
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bank — for money
  13. ball — a great time
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. plane — a tool
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. wind — moving air
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. scale — size or range
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wind — moving air

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