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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: board · fork · perch · chair · jam · band · shower · bound

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. fork — in a road
  3. band — a music group
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bound — certain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. board — a committee
  10. band — a ring
  11. board — to get on
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. chair — a leader
  16. shower — to wash
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bound — tied together
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bound — obliged
  22. shower — rain
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. perch — for a bird

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