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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 116 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: saw · board · land · perch · press · leaves · chair · bulb

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. press — newspapers
  6. saw — the tool
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. land — ground
  9. bulb — for light
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. board — to get on
  13. press — a publisher
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. land — to come down
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. board — a committee
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. press — to push
  24. board — a flat piece

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