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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: leaves · perch · board · mine · stand · prune · bore · jam

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. prune — to trim
  3. board — to get on
  4. mine — for digging
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stand — to bear
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bore — to tire
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. board — a committee
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. prune — to trim

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