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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: board · cap · firm · perch · season · bear · bulb · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. firm — a company
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. perch — the fish
  7. firm — decided
  8. land — a country
  9. board — to get on
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cap — a hat
  13. land — to come down
  14. firm — steady
  15. bear — the animal
  16. season — in sport
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. season — of the year
  19. board — a committee
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bulb — for light

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