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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: perch · board · bound · firm · face · season · scale · bear

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. season — in sport
  4. face — to confront
  5. bound — tied together
  6. board — to get on
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bound — obliged
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. firm — a company
  14. scale — size or range
  15. firm — steady
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. season — of the year
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bear — the animal
  23. firm — decided
  24. bound — certain

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