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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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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: ruler · board · rest · season · perch · bear · net · content

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rest — a break
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. net — after costs
  7. season — in sport
  8. board — a committee
  9. rest — what's left
  10. content — the amount
  11. net — for catching
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bear — the animal
  18. net — in sport
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. content — happy
  24. board — to get on

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