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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: suit · season · perch · band · patient · branch · board · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. branch — a division
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. perch — the fish
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. season — of the year
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. band — a ring
  13. suit — in cards
  14. toast — bread
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. band — a music group
  18. board — a committee
  19. season — in sport
  20. board — to get on
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. board — a flat piece

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