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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · branch · chair · board · leaves · suit · mine · mark

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. board — to get on
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mark — a grade
  8. branch — a division
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. suit — clothes
  11. chair — a leader
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mark — a trace
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mine — for digging
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. board — a committee
  24. suit — to fit

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