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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bear · season · dip · perch · jam · land · staff · chair

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. land — a country
  5. staff — a stick
  6. season — of the year
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. season — in sport
  10. land — to come down
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. staff — employees
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. perch — the fish
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. chair — a leader
  18. dip — to sink
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. land — ground
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — a sauce

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