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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.

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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: hand · perch · ball · board · leaves · bowl · lean · present

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. board — a committee
  6. perch — the fish
  7. lean — thin
  8. board — to get on
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. present — a gift
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. ball — a dance
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hand — help
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. present — there
  21. hand — in cards
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. present — the time now

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