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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: staff · perch · pop · chair · leaves · ball · date · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. staff — employees
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. staff — employees
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pop — music
  14. staff — a stick
  15. date — the fruit
  16. ball — a great time
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. ball — a dance
  19. chair — a leader
  20. perch — the fish
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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