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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 120 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: leaves · fan · land · club · mouse · chair · cap · season

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. club — a group
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. land — ground
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. cap — a hat
  9. land — a country
  10. club — for golf
  11. season — of the year
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. club — for dancing
  15. chair — a leader
  16. cap — of ice
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. land — to come down
  21. cap — a lid
  22. season — in sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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