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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: perch · leaves · chair · band · bank · track · land · fan

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. land — a country
  4. track — a song
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bank — for money
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chair — a leader
  11. band — a ring
  12. land — to come down
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. track — to keep track
  17. land — ground
  18. track — a path
  19. bank — for money
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. band — a music group

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