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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.

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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 · foot · perch · court · bulb · board · net · ball

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. net — after costs
  4. ball — a dance
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. net — for catching
  11. board — to get on
  12. foot — a measure
  13. perch — the fish
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. court — of a king
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ball — a great time
  18. court — for sport
  19. net — in sport
  20. court — of law
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. foot — the bottom

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