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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
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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: spring · mug · bear · board · perch · present · season · kid

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. perch — the fish
  4. board — to get on
  5. present — the time now
  6. spring — of water
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. kid — child
  12. present — there
  13. mug — a face
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. present — a gift
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. spring — a coil
  22. mug — to rob
  23. spring — the season
  24. kid — to tease

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