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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: perch · season · bound · bank · board · court · sharp · plane

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bound — certain
  3. court — of a king
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. season — of the year
  6. bound — tied together
  7. perch — the fish
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bank — for money
  10. court — for sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. board — to get on
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bank — of a river
  20. board — a committee
  21. court — of law
  22. sharp — clever
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bound — obliged

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