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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: ball · bound · object · land · board · face · perch · last

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. last — finally
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ball — a great time
  7. object — an aim
  8. face — to point toward
  9. object — to protest
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. board — to get on
  13. bound — obliged
  14. object — a thing
  15. bound — certain
  16. land — ground
  17. face — part of the head
  18. land — a country
  19. face — to confront
  20. board — a committee
  21. bound — tied together
  22. last — to go on
  23. land — to come down
  24. last — final

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